Jesus as a man was not born with character, He grew in character by living life.

Hebrews 2:10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.

Jesus was “perfected“ through sufferings. To be “perfected” is to be made mature in character. God designed life in His infinite wisdom to be the ultimate character builder.

2 Peter 1:4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

We have the potential to grow in holiness, righteousness, and character to the point that we have the nature of Jesus.

One of God’s most powerful tools for causing growth in us is marriage.

Ephesians 5:25-29 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,

Jesus is in the process of making the church holy and blameless and that is the responsibility of every husband and every wife, to make each other holy and blameless by our proactive, thought out, and loving influence.

Married couples who understand the purpose of marriage and pursue that purpose have the blessing of God on their efforts and their marriage.

The wise design and plan of God for us can be totally messed up by our poor choices and failure to cooperate with His plan.

Every morning when I get up I pray my “Prayer of Commitment,” and one of the commitments I make is, “Today, Lord, I will love Patty the way You love the church, and I ask You for the wisdom and the strength to influence her so that she becomes like You. I also ask that You will perfect me through her, and that I will be submissive to that influence so that I grow rapidly to be like You.”