Appreciate Your Spouse: You Got the Better End of the Deal - Dan Pentimone

It's really a delight to be here.

Thank you for the opportunity to share

just a few words

at your special day.

So, thank you both.

As I was thinking about what to say,

I'm glad I didn't go
with my first thought,

because it would basically
be the same thing

that Nathan preached,

which was really a wonderful message

about loving God

above anyone else.

So, I really appreciated that Nathan.

So I was thinking,

what practical thing could I say

to the couples here?

And so, you've all heard the saying

that honesty is the best policy, right?

And that really is true.

My wife and I have been married 28 years.

And I've been honest with people

through the years,

that my wife and I
have an ongoing conflict

in our marriage.

And I'm here today

to just be honest with you all, OK?

And hopefully you can glean something

from the conflict that
we have in our marriage.

So, when we got married over 28 years ago,

I knew absolutely that I was

getting the better end of the deal.

And I am convinced that that is the case.

Proverbs 31 says,

"An excellent wife, who can find?

She is far more precious than jewels."

And so through the years,

I, by the grace of God,

have been able to maintain that view,

that I really did get the better deal.

The problem is my wife

is thinking that she got
the better end of the deal.

And so we've had this conflict

throughout our whole marriage,

where I know the truth,

that I got the better end of the deal,

and she still thinks that
she got the better end

of the deal.

Now, I could ask for a show of hands

for those who know us -

I've done this before,

and I do win.

Everyone knows the truth.

But I think through the years,

that has been one of the things

that has really strengthened our marriage,

and helped us in our marriage,

and that is really
appreciating your spouse,

above what you think,

in the sense that you realize,

men, that you really got the better end

of the deal here, don't you?

You know that.

Right?

And I know that you know that.

But I'm guessing if I were to ask

the ladies here,

they would say, no, actually,

I got the better end of the deal.

Is that probably what you're thinking?

So they already have this conflict

and they just got married,

and they haven't even gotten married yet.

But if you will, by the grace of God -

because that's really what it is -

it's only by the grace of God.

But gratefulness and appreciation

is such a huge thing in our marriage.

And by the grace of God,

never lose that.

If 30, 40 years from now,

if the Lord hasn't come,

and you're both really
believing in your heart,

I got the better end of the deal,

it's really going to help your marriage.

It's really going to keep
your marriage strong.

So that's my input.

You just keep remembering,

each one of you,

I got the better end of the deal.

I don't deserve to have this other one.

And that's really the
truth in my marriage.

I can say it, and she's not up here.

Can I just pray for you both?

Our Father, we're thankful

for the joy of knowing Christ.

Thank You for His precious blood.

Lord, may we never, never tire

of praising and thanking You

for the work of Your Son.

Lord, we are so grateful for marriage

and the opportunity to witness

these two marriages today.

And we pray that in each couple,

each one of them would continually be

thankful for the other one.

That they would never, never think

that they're the better
one in the marriage.

And Lord, I pray that You would

just encourage them with
this through the years.

And make these marriages strong

for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ.

And Lord, fill us all with an expectation

and a longing for His coming again.

May we say as the Apostle John,

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.

And we ask this for the glory of Christ,

Amen.