1. Paul

I need someone who can mentor and coach me.  I don’t know everything and I will never get to the point that I will know everything.  I need someone to help me follow Jesus to my very last breath.

I thank God for Steve, Joey, Ariel, Ferdie and Manny who have been like that to me.

2. Barnabas

While following a mentor is critical, equally important is peer discipleship.  I need people who will stay in my face and let me know when I am not in the right.

I thank God for Robert, Chaz, Michael, LA, Carlos, Dennis, Rico, Julius who have been like that to me.

3. Timothy

Being a coach and a mentor is part of discipleship.  We help people follow Jesus.

You and I need to find men and women who we can pour our life into. . . to give what was given to us. .. to share what was shared to us.

Not having them will someday prove to be a disaster.  It’s cool to hear from people say that they just go with the flow.  It’s fun to hear that they are spontaneous.  Unfortunately, when we don’t prioritize, certain things, namely relationships can get left out.

Listen to what Wayne Cordeiro, a pastor from Oahu, says in his book, “Leading On Empty.”

“One day after years of ministry with a wonderful congregation, I will say my good-byes, pack my bags and , with many tears, walk out of the church.  But when I walk out of the church, there’s only one place I can walk into.

Family.

If you miss building the home base, you will have nowhere to go when ministry days are over… Too many have sacrificed marital harmony and family on the altar of success.  It’s not worth it.”

It’s not worth it.  Those words don’t ring in our heads until it’s too late.

What’s worth it?  Your family is.

Weddings are fun.  It brings all kinds of emotions – for the bride, the groom, the family, friends, relatives and even those who are walking by the beach to see all the stuff happening as the event unfolds.

While weddings are great, the real prayer is focused on the marriage.  Weddings happen in a day… marriage, a lifetime.

Much of life is about choices.  We can choose to eat breakfast (oh, that’s why my stomach’s growling) or not.  We can choose to be grumpy or cheerful.  We can choose to keep a positive attitude about life or choose to be negative all the time.  You’ve met some of them, I think.

Stepping into a marriage, you will be confronted with lots of choices.

Let me download 3 quick choices we need to make as one decides to tie the proverbial knot:

1. Choose to love.

While it is a wonderful feeling, we all know love is above and beyond just romance.  While your partner will not always be lovable, don’t be deceived.  It’s equally the same if not worse with you.  You will not always be lovable.  You won’t always look, feel and even smell lovable.

Yet when Paul told the church in Ephesus to love the way Jesus loved the church, he was talking about choosing to love without condition. (Ephesians 5:25)

Choose to love not just because, not just inspite… but choose to love.  Period.

2. Choose to forgive.

Because we live in an imperfect world made up of imperfect people, we will all commit dumb things, intentionally or inadvertently.

Forgiveness reboots the ’system’.  Forgiveness refreshes the ‘browser’.  Forgiveness restarts the relationship.

Relationships go on for years without being fixed.  Why?  People forget to forgive.  We conveniently forget.  We choose only to forgive who we want and when we want.

Col. 3:13 tells us “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Don’t forget to read the last statement.  “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

If God can forgive knuckleheads like us.  I think, we can choose to forgive those who hurt us.  Our spouse included.

3. Choose to enjoy.

I cannot tell you how huge a part humor has played in our marriage.  My wife loves to laugh.  She knows how to enjoy life.  And I thoroughly enjoy being married to her.

The wisest man at that time, King Solomon wrote in Ecc. 9:9,

“Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love…”

Great stuff.  Wonderful advice.

Someone said, “Pain is inevitable.  But misery is optional.”

You can’t stop bad stuff from happening.  But you can definitely stop misery from camping in your backyard.

I read the story of Michael from the book “LEADING ON EMPTY” by Wayne Cordeiro.  I won’t have space to include that story.  But you will have to read it.  You gotta. It will change your perspective on life.

His story is found in this link.

Life has a way of presenting different choices.  It’s up to us to make those decisions.

But we have had One who exemplified making a tough choice yet followed through.  His motivation?  He so loved that He gave.  So loved us.

Because of that, He chose.