Crazy, Stupid Love

          Tonight, Sara and I watched Crazy, Stupid Love. A really good movie. Not to be watched around the kids, but a good movie nonetheless. The whole plot revolves around a marriage in trouble. Without giving away too many details, I want to explore one theme that ran throughout the whole movie.
          In our culture, 50 percent of marriages end in divorce. This is tragic. Coming from a biblical perspective of marriage being a lifetime commitment between a man and a woman before God, there is something amiss that our country, with In God We Trust as our motto, has such a high statistic. Other countries see marriage as a contract, as a commitment, that both partners commit to for life. This doesn't necessarily mean love, but their divorce rates are lower. When we look at love as an abstract, arbitrary thing that is fleeting, then we lose the bid idea.
          The main theme found in Crazy, Stupid Love was that true love, soul mates, are worth fighting for. That you never stop fighting for your soulmate. The main character got to a point in his life where he no longer fought for the love of his wife. Many guys see marriage as the kill shot and then the hunt is over.
          I say nay, nay, the hunt has just begun. Love is a commitment, and sometimes you don't feel the huggy, lovey, butterfly moments. In the movie, the male lead addressed his wife to a crowd. He said he loved her when they first met, when they had their first child; he loved her when he HATED her, and he would love her even if it didn't work out. He professed a working definition of the love that we should have in marriage.
          I love my wife. She is a wonderful woman who loves her family and for some reason, loves me. But there are times, very few times, when our attitudes clash or we catch one another in the wrong moment. Am I feeling the same feelings that I had when we were first dating? Probably not. But my commitment to God to preserve and nurture our marriage is stronger than a fickle, fleeting emotion brought on by circumstances.
          *If your relationships fail, if your marriage sucks, then you need to take a step back and examine yourself first. I always default to this action; look at myself in a mirror first to shed light on what my problems are. I can't really ask my spouse to change if I am in sin.
          Marriage and relationships make sense according to how God ordained them to be. When God is removed as the establisher and initiator, those types of relationships become fluid and feeble. Crazy, Stupid Love had a good idea with saying that your true love is worth fighting for, but make sure you understand exactly what you are fighting for.
          Take a moment to read Song of Songs and Ephesians 5:22-33. There are some great things to inspire and instruct about relationships and marriage.