Why should we expect to emerge unscathed?

I read this quote the other day:

“Marriage, see, was God’s idea. It’s one of the most potent metaphors in all of Scripture for the way God loves us and the way we’re to let ourselves be loved by him. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. To the contrary, it’s fraught with peril. Any good marriage involves a thousand deaths to self–the good news is, in Christ that marriage involves at least as many resurrections. We lay our lives down and enter this perilous dance with another human being who has done the same. Why should we expect to emerge unscathed?”

– Andrew Peterson, describing the story behind his song “Dancing in the Minefields”

The ironic thing is, soon as I posted it, Cheryl and I got into an argument. I don’t remember exactly what it was about (to heighten the irony, perhaps it was an argument about posting things on Facebook!).

But we sinned and went to bed angry (well, I know I did). And the next morning, the first thing we had to do was to repent of our wrongs. We then asked each other for forgiveness. Death to self. Then a resurrection. So true.

Marriage is a wonderful, gracious way to expose how selfish I continue to be, and that I’d have no hope of changing from if it weren’t for God gently, courageously transforming me into His likeness (Rom 12:1-2).

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– William