Mike Edmisten Follower of Jesus. Husband of Nicki. Father of Ryan & Brock. Communicator of the Word.

A Marriage Rant

This is less of a blog post and more of a rant. Sometimes you've just gotta rant. In case you're wondering, there was no single event or person that prompted this rant. It was prompted by trends that I see, not individual people that I know. But if the shoe fits…

And now, on to the marriage rant.

Guys, stop ogling other women. I don't care who it is. The woman you work with. The girl at the mall. The cheerleader at the game. The Victoria's Secret catalog.  Doesn't matter who it is…just stop. And save me your excuses.

"I'm a guy." No, you're a little boy.

"I'm just window shopping." No, you're destroying your wife.

"I can look at the menu as long as I have my meals at home." How sick are you to believe that women are nothing but a buffet to feed your lust and fantasies?

When you got married, you promised to be a one-woman man. There is one woman for your body. There is one woman for your eyes. There is one woman for your mind. End of discussion. Any type of argument or explanation or justification that you offer proves that you don't get it. Marriage isn't for boys. It's a man's game. And you'd better man up before you lose everything.

Ladies, stop ogling other men. There was a time when I would not have included this, but that time has passed.

Ladies, it's not ok. It's just not.

It's not ok for you to Facebook or tweet your lust for the "hot guy" in the movie. It's not ok for you to joke with your friends about it, either. Just like it's not ok for you to dress provocatively for anyone other than your husband, it's also not ok for you to fantasize about anyone other than your husband. It's just not.

And it hurts him deeply when you do. He won't admit it because he's supposed to be strong. He'll claim that it doesn't bother him. But it does.

Husbands and wives, you committed to "forsake all others" in your marriage vows. Remember that?

Anytime you lust or fantasize about someone other than your spouse, it's adultery. If you don't like that, don't get mad at me. I didn't say it. Jesus said it.

I realize the tone of this post (rant) is direct and uncomfortable. But there are situations that require hard, unfiltered truth. This is one of them.

I want you have a happy, healthy, amazing, godly marriage. But that will only happen when you actually decide that you're married to ONE person. That doesn't just mean that you don't have sex with anyone else. That means that you commit WHOLEHEARTEDLY to this one person. It means you honor them in your speech, in your attitude, in your service…and it means you honor them with your body, your eyes, and your mind.

Isn't your spouse worth it?

Isn't your marriage worth it?

Isn't your family worth it?

Isn't your legacy worth it?