The truth about the container: When the offering plate was passed in church, a lady didn’t put anything in. When she complained all the way home about how poor the service was, her little boy said, ‘Mum, that proves if you don’t put anything in, you won’t get anything out.’ Marriage is like an empty container – you get out what you put in. This truth frees you to make your relationship rich and rewarding by becoming a giver rather than a taker. Some people think the container comes filled with romance, sexual fulfilment, and being served in the style to which they’ve become accustomed. They think they can take whatever they want from a never-ending supply – instant, low maintenance, satisfaction guaranteed!
Then one day they dip in and come up empty. Shocked, disappointed, angry, despairing, and hopeless, they conclude that their partner failed, fooled, or forsook them. Why else would the container be empty? Then they go looking for a new container. The truth is, it’s your responsibility to make enough deposits every day to guarantee sufficient withdrawals for a rich relationship. Jesus said, ‘The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.’ Ask yourself what you’d like to have in the container, and how much. Then deposit enough to generate that amount.
J. Allan Petersen said: ‘There’s no love in marriage; love is in people, and people put it into marriage. There’s no romance in marriage; people have to infuse it into their marriages. A couple must form the habit of giving, loving, serving, praising – keeping the box full.’
2 Sam 19-20, John 21
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