Some people say that marriage is
not a bed of roses. The truth is that marriage is like a rose plant comprising
of the beautiful flower that attracts passersby, the lovely green leaves and of
course, the not-so-obvious but ever
The Christian journey just like
the rose plant and of course, marriage, is very attractive from afar. The
testimonies that people present about a great and miracle working God is enough
to convince a sinner to opt for the ‘winning‘ side. Realistically, the winning
side does not win all the time but only wins eventually. Awkwardly, exaggerated
testimonies in church may not present a holistic view of what the Christian
journey really entails. Christ reminded his disciples of this very important
aspect of Christianity in these words: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In
the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world” (John 16:33, KJV). Now, that is an
unbiased perspective of Christianity!
The bottom line is to remind us that
Christianity is not a bed of roses. That is not to say that all we should
expect are trials and temptations but to remind us that even when we encounter
such, it is meant to make us better Christians and not just ‘bread and butter’
believers.
Apostle Paul presents this in a subtle
manner:
“I know how to live on almost
nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every
situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little”
(Phill. 4:12, NLT)
The essence of this portion of
the scripture is to jog our memory that Christianity is not all about the gains;
it is also about the victories after the many battles.
