Devotion: Keep the House, Toss the Bulb

We live in a “throw away” culture. If we’re not careful this attitude can permeate our lives in areas that matter most, marriage included. The quote in the image below (author unknown) is powerful because it reminds us that we mustn’t be too quick to discard our whole marriage when parts of it simply need renewal, removal, or replacement. Otherwise, the cost is too great and the sacrifice unnecessary.

“Bad bulbs” accumulate quickly when left unattended. They gradually darken the rooms and hallways of your home as darkness creeps in where light is absent. In marriage, bad bulbs can be hurts unexpressed, forgiveness withheld, or a lack of good habits that were never established. There’s great news! Christ’s light pierces every dim space, and darkness never overcomes it.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5)

All areas of sin and discord–darkness–are rooted in an implicit disbelief in the gospel. When you hide sin or let it wreak havoc in your marriage, you set aside the goodness of Christ and what he’s done to grab hold of something else. You replace his lordship with your own and craft idols, made of either pride or fear. Without the gospel, idols pile up and darkness follows. After enough rooms grow unlivable, you’ll want to move out. The key to sustaining marriage is not in replacing bad bulbs with new bulbs of the same nature, it’s in replacing your brokenness with Christ’s completeness. Don’t sell the house, keep it! Just replace bad bulbs with the only light that will never fade: Jesus.