by David J. Stewart
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Hebrews 13:5
There was a very popular song on the radio when I was growing up (recorded by the rock band REO Speedwagon in 1978) called"“Time For Me To Fly.” The lyrics went as follows:
I've been around for you
I've been up and down for you
But I just can't get any relief
I've swallowed my pride for you
I've lived and lied for you
But you still make me feel like a thief
You got me stealin' your love away 'cause you never give it
Peeling the years away and we can't relive it
Oh I make you laugh and you make me cry
I believe it's time for me to fly
You said we'd work it out
You said that you had no doubt
That deep down we were really in love
Oh, but I'm tired of holding on
To a feeling I know is gone
I do believe that I've had enough
I've had enough of the falseness of a worn out relation
Enough of the jealousy and the intoleration
Oh I make you laugh and you make me cry
I believe it's time for me to fly
{Refrain}
Time for me to fly, oh, I've got to set myself free
Time for me to fly - and that's just how it's got to be
I know it hurts to say goodbye
But it's time for me to fly
Oh, don't you know it's...
{Refrain}
It's time for me to fly
It's time for me to fly - it's time for me to fly (3x)
But it's time for me to fly
I didn't not write this article to criticize the band REO Speedwagon, but rather to shed light on the worldly and very unbiblical message which the song promotes. Over and over the song contains the horrible lyrics, “It's time for me to fly.” God promised us in Hebrews 13:5 that He would NEVER leave us nor forsake us. God is not a fair-weather God, He sticks with us in the bad times as well as the good times.
There used to be a day in America when marriage vows meant a whole lot more to people than they do to a large portion of our population today. It is a sin to break a promise. Let me say that again. It is a sin to break a promise, a commitment! Marriage is a COMMITMENT! Marriage is a commitment between a man and a woman for a lifetime (at least that's what God intended it to be).
"For better, for worse!
'Til death do us part!"
We live in a nation of liars! It is a sin to divorce! What if God quit on us? What if God gave up on us and forsook us because we sinned or made a mess of things? What if God abandoned us because we lied to Him and treated Him poorly? God has PROMISED in Hebrews 13:5 that He would never forsake us or leave us. This is God's unconditional promise. If we are to be godly as believers, then we need to learn to STAY! The wicked don't stay, they leave when the going gets tough. A godly Christian is one who stays with their spouse no matter what.
If you are the victim of a divorce, I am sorry that your spouse quit. It was wrong. Divorce is a sin that perpetuates for a lifetime. The damage is incalculable, but God sees all and knows all. God sees the thousands of evils caused by a single divorce; but Jesus Christ is the healer of broken hearts. God can do the impossible. Yes, He certainly can! As only God can do, He can take the broken pieces of our life and put them back together into something useful and whole. Trust upon the Lord. Come what may, have faith in God!
Literally, we need to have the spirit of a martyr in marriage. In other words, I'll die before I forsake my own. I realize that some spouses are more like devils with cold hearts. However, we made a promise in our wedding vows “to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, for better for worse, 'til death do us part...” Tragically, when the going gets tough down the road, many people take the easy way out... DIVORCE.
"Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." —Matthew 19:6
Listen folks, marriage is not 50/50, it is supposed to be 100%. If your spouse is everything bad mentioned in the lyrics of the above song (Time For Me To Fly), then you pray and keep on loving your spouse 'til death do us part. I know this is not a popular teaching, but it is Bible! God never forsakes His own, and we should never forsake our own either. No parent should ever disown a child... ever! No husband or wife should ever file for a divorce! America is a land of extreme pride and selfishness. I, me and mine... me, myself, and I... divorce is the result of pride. Please notice that the middle letter of the word “pride” is the letter “i.” It is also the middle letter of the word “sin.” Most people have “i” problems.
