“So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart” (Psalm 90:12).

This passage is in the context of God’s wrath.  When we consider eternity, our lives become fleeting.  And when we consider the death that comes with God’s wrath, our own will becomes secondary.  We grow in our desire to live each day with the joy of the Lord, for His glory over ours, precisely because our lives are short, and we desire to live out the eternal purpose set out for us.

Marriage is a similar kind of perspective changer.  As singles, we live for ourselves—not necessarily void of compassion and sacrifice, but less challenged to live humbly each day.  As a married couple, however, we encounter the daily (and often hourly) needs of our spouse.  We have a choice to live for ourselves or to live for our team.  Which one brings more glory to God?  When self-sacrifice seems too exhausting or when our spouse’s afflictions seem too irreparable and toxic to bear, it helps to step away from the moment and consider this marriage in the context of eternity.  If my spouse were to die tomorrow, would today’s issues still be too much to bear?  If I only have three years left to learn how to love my best friend better, would I want to waste a single moment of that?  If I only had a decade left to live, would I be able to stand before Jesus and say that I was a good steward of my spouse, making him in the image of Christ the best I could?

Lord, my life is but a blip compared to eternity.  Give me an eternal perspective in my marriage so that I could endure the dark times and always find worth in my daily sacrifice.  Help me to live with a wise heart that cherishes each moment of my life as an opportunity to know You better and to share You with others, especially in my marriage.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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