She said yes!

I figure most of you know who clicked on this solely from the title that I proposed to Casey this past Saturday. And... Well... She did say yes and agreed to marry me. I wanted to thank everyone who has commented on Facebook ,or texted me ,or anything else of the sort personally. I think it's awesome all the support that we have gotten over the past couple days. Casey and I are really excited about this and I couldn't imagine marrying a better woman or follower of Jesus. I really wanted to write this to talk about how important marriage is and what its real purpose is. I know there's lots of people out there who would get married for the tax cut or because they think the other person is good looking (not saying Casey isn't). Those are small, fleeting reasons.

The sole purpose of marriage is to point people to Jesus. The bible says He created is in His own image. So why are men and women so different? Because they each show us what God is like. Am I as sensitive and caring as a woman is? Nope. Is a woman build to lead in the ways men are? Nope. God has created man and woman so different to allow us to greater worship Him through our differences and for us to allow our different strengths to compliment each other.

Marriage is the closest earthly picture we will ever have to what our relationship with Jesus is like. Now, I realize that I'm not married yet and I've got a lot to learn but there's a passage in Ephesians 5 that states this concept very well.

²² Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

²⁸ In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church

This passage is taken the wrong way by so many people. I've heard a lot of women in the past say something like "I don't want to be a second rate citizen to my husband. We are equals." Well, yes, men and women are equals but the bible clearly defines roles for each in marriage. The "wives submit and husbands lead" isn't the whole story. Wives submit as you do to the Lord and husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church. These little phrases are often left off when talking about this. To love my future wife as Jesus loved the church. That's seriously a LOT of love... "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." 1 John 3:16. To be willing to completely selflessly lay down my life for the sake of my wife. Wow. Ladies, please tell me who wouldn't be able to submit to a man who treats you that way?

Now, for women to submit to the man as unto the Lord. This is a tough one. I believe I can speak for the entire human race when I say that we like to be in control. I like control. For me, as I have seen Casey do some of this in our relationship, I have seen a better picture of what my submission to Jesus should be like. I've seen her agree with some things I've said that I think we should have done even though she may have had other thoughts on the matter. Needless to say, she expresses those thoughts. I wouldn't make a decision until after hearing what she has said on the matter. Her opinion means a lot to me. It's not the man's job to lead by dictatorship. Marriage shouldn't be a "what I say goes" relationship. That wouldn't be very loving of me.

The closest we get to seeing the relationship Jesus wants with us is through love relationships with others specifically in marriage. I cannot tell you how much my relationship in Christ has grown since Casey and I have been dating. I think the tangible picture of Jesus through her has really given me a greater grasp on who He is and how He loves me. I have since been more drawn to Jesus and my relationship with Him is so much different than ever before. I can safely say that I have a dynamic love relationship with the Creator of the universe who sacrificed Himself for me. Don't read the bible as a list of rules. Just like the passage above, if a woman read to submit as a rule it'd be a lot tougher. If it's read as a love letter from a God who loves you more than you know, then the real intimacy with Him begins. Attempt to grow your relationship with God the same way we grow relationships here on earth, spend time with Him in His Word, around His people, and talking to Him in prayer. He will draw you to Himself. He promised to.