

Work on Friendship Theme of the week: Be Your Wife's Best Friend Monday, May 7, 2012
 1 of 1

Key Bible Verse: "This is my lover and my friend." (Song of Songs 5:16, NCV) Dig Deeper: Proverbs 17:9, 26:18-19, 27:6
Friendship is an integral part of a truly Christian marriage and a safeguard against emotional adultery. In our years together we have seen many couples, including pastors and their wives, commit emotional adultery. Emotional adultery is having as your close friend someone of the opposite sex who is not your spouse.
Sadly, too many books and sermons on marriage focus only on the Bible verses about marriage. They should also examine the mountain of Bible verses on friendship because those apply to the most vital human friendship of all with our very best friend, our spouse. The Bible itself weds marriage and friendship. A wife in Song of Songs says [today's Key Bible Verse].
Marriage often starts out as a journey between friends. It gets off course as friends become business partners trying to pay the bills, parents trying to raise the kids, caregivers trying to tend to aging parents, event planners trying to pull off everything from holidays to birthday parties, and lovers trying to keep the flames of passion hot. Perhaps the key is to always be working on the friendship, because in the end the rest of marriage seems to come together more easily and happily when you are working on it with your friend.
—Mark and Grace Driscoll in Real Marriage
My Response: In what ways do I treat my wife as a friend?
Adapted from Real Marriage (Thomas Nelson, 2012) by permission. All rights reserved by the copyright holder and/or the publisher. May not be reproduced.
Copyright © 2012 by Christianity Today/Men of Integrity magazine. Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity.  1 of 1

share this page
Dear God, help me to treat my wife as my very best friend; by your grace, may we work together to build and strengthen our friendship.
Men of Integrity Connect with God | Transform my Mind | Live by His Power Relate Better | Make an Impact Home | Archives | Contact Us
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Try an Issue of Men of Integrity Free!
 |
 |
|
 No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. Click here for Canadian Orders.
If you decide you want to keep Men of Integrity coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive five more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless.
Give Men of Integrity as a gift
Buy 1 gift subscription, get 1 FREE!
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|  |
 |