Do Picture-Perfect Couples Exist in Real Life?
“They’re splitting up.” A picture-perfect couple. The news sent shock waves.
Nobody—for one nanosecond—thought it would happen.
A romantic storybook flashed through my mind. A fairy-tale slide show portrayed on timelines, rolled through the news feed on social media.
Starry-eyed followers viewed a plethora of images labeled “in a relationship with” and “date night.” To keep the pot boiling, engagement pictures topped any Hallmark movie we’d ever seen.
A Picture-perfect Union
Enduring wedding pictures captured marital bliss—the tagline for each anniversary to come. Would this honeymoon never be over? The attractive couple knew what they wanted. A match made in heaven.
Professional photographers presented the lovebirds in their finest moments. Photo edits and touch-ups assisted in flawless outsides and what onlookers imagined as flawless insides. The picture-perfect union of husband and wife. She’s stunning and he’s Prince-Charming handsome.
Photo album memories continued. Snapshots of dazzling moments. A bouquet of flowers for his lovely bride—no special occasion. “Just because I adore you,” the note on public display. Women everywhere surmised, Guess he’s Prince Charming after all…must be nice for her.
Trips to Paris and tropical resorts. Images captured buff bodies. Young-in-age-and-heart sentiments spilled out on our devices. Appearance of a perfect life sent us to the envy store more times than we’d honestly admit.
Do Picture-perfect Couples Exist?
Reality has a way of shaking us out of a deep slumber of fairy-dust dreams. Picture-perfect couples only exist in photos, not in real life. Not in our world of imperfect people like me and like you.
Picture-perfect couples solely take place on our screens. Behind closed doors there’s often a different story. Oh, there may be happy moments packed full of joy, laughter, and tender moments. Yet, there’s other moments when life turns hard with stress, heartache, pain, illness, and fizzled dreams.
Still, social media causes jealousy to spring from our heart when we compare picture-perfect couples with our own relationships…and lives. Photographs with smiles and edits and filters seem pristine. But…
Image-filters enhance our outside, not our inside. Jesus alone filters the heart. #blog #God Share on XOur spiritual birth and growth in Christ, along with His matchless love, brings our heart closer to the ultimate love affair. It’s with Jesus. A love that spills over into our earthly love relationships and makes them better 
because God changes us from the inside out.
As we strive to conform to the image of Christ, our relationships look more like God intended…not perfect but more godly.
A not so Picture-perfect Couple
My husband, Mike, is a pastor. And we’ve given spiritual and marital advice to many couples. Yet, we’ve had our own share of happy times and struggles.
Bright days where love bloomed and grace flourished.
Dark days where gloom and doom lived.
Full-time ministry doesn’t stamp a label across our foreheads, “The perfect marriage.” Because the enemy seeks to destroy marriages, working overtime on those in church leadership and ministry.
Following Christ automatically enlists believers in spiritual warfare. But ministry can be the bloodiest battleground.
In April, Mike and I celebrated thirty-two years in ministry and marriage. In our culture, it’s a surprising and blessed milestone. Here’s a note I wrote to him on our thirty-first anniversary.
One is the loneliest number…that’s why God gave me you. Thanks for being my guy, my man, my love, and my friend. I’m honored to be the wife of a man who’s not perfect (that’s only for Jesus), but who is godly and perfect for me. And dashingly handsome to say the least.
Matches Made in Heaven
So, if you’re in a love relationship or engaged, don’t pray for perfection, pray that you both become more like Christ as He filters your heart. If you’re married, pray for your spouse and marriage. God loves us with an everlasting love. A love that provides us the grace, mercy, and strength to strive toward imitating Christ in our marriage—even if they’re second chances.
We can’t always hit the like button in #marriage. But in #Christ, we can choose the love button. Share on X“Steadfast love and truth and faithfulness meet together; Righteousness and peace kiss each other” Psalm 85:10 AMP.
Love is strengthened with truth and faithfulness. They meet together. Daily chats and holding hands mark their fellowship. Righteousness and peace affectionately adore one another.
They’re matches made in heaven.
For more about marriage, read my blog article, 5 Ways to Never Give Up on Marriage.
*Images or image text courtesy of Adobe Spark.
© 2017 by Karen Friday, All Rights Reserved
Post part of these link ups: Salt & Light, Crystal Twadell/Fresh Market Friday, Crystal Storms/Heart Encouragement, Meg Gemelli/GRITupAndGo, Suzanne Eller/Living Free.
LOVE this post, Karen. Our culture prizes perfect images, but craves authentic stories like yours. Thank you for sharing! I’m sharing this on FB and Twitter 🙂 Blessings to you.
Thanks so much for commenting and sharing, Sarah. I love your words “prizes perfect images, but craves authentic stories.” So true. We can’t always hit the “like” button in marriage, but in Christ, we can choose the “love” button.
Pray that you both become more like Christ. Yes!!
Bethany, yes! Christ is where the power lies to have more godly marriages. As we strive to conform to the image of Christ, our relationships look more like God intended…not perfect but more godly. Blessings!
Oh, how true this is. I especially liked the “we can’t always hit the like button in marriage, but in Christ we can hit the love button. I have started telling my husband of 40 years not just that I love him, but that I like him, too.
Debbie, that’s great. What a powerful testimony to be able to tell your husband you like and love him. And it points straight to Christ in us…is the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27) Blessings! 🙂
Thank you for your bravery in posting about marriage. I do believe love is a choice and the easier that choice becomes when we are both focused on becoming more Christ like. Congrats on celebrating 32 years. We will be celebrating 30 years this year. Blessings, Maree
Thanks, Maree, congratulations on your milestone of 30 years. Yes, love is not always a mushy feeling but a choice, and love is an action. As we strive to conform to the image of Christ, our relationships look more like God intended…not perfect but more godly. Blessings!
Karen, I love this post. Although I think we all know that things aren’t always what they seem on the outside, and marriage is hard, we still crave perfection. The truth is, as you know, perfection is only found in Christ. When we build our relationships upon the rock of Christ, that is what is needed for endurance. Relationships require endurance. Satan wants us to give up. Christ is the author and perfecter of our faith which means it will take His strength and endurance.
Yes, Beckie, so true! We must be intentional in relationships by choosing love, choosing to grow together in Christ, and choosing to put forth the effort in the strength of Jesus to bloom and cherish our union. Appreciate you stopping by and commenting. Hugs!
So true, it’s easy to look at others and think their lives are perfect and social media definitely doesn’t help. It’s important to remember that everyone had their issues and also to make the effort to be authentic instead of presenting ourselves as perfect.
Thanks for commenting, Lesley. Yes, I agree we need to be authentic. God’s love spills over into our earthly love relationships and makes them better because God changes us from the inside out. That’s the only strength we have to be real in who we are.
Karen, this should be made into a brochure and given to every married and unmarried couple. Truth for a happy marriage, it takes three!
I love this: (Full-time ministry doesn’t stamp a label across our foreheads, “The perfect marriage.” Because the enemy seeks to destroy marriages, working overtime on those in church leadership and ministry.
Following Christ automatically enlists believers in spiritual warfare. But ministry can be the bloodiest battleground.
Love is strengthened with truth and faithfulness. They meet together. Daily chats and holding hands mark their fellowship. Righteousness and peace affectionately adore one another.
They’re matches made in heaven.)
Awesome, this is straight from the throne-room of our God! Praise the Lord!! Amen!
Awe, thank you so much Marla. You’re such an encouragement to me. And thankful we’re on the same cheerleading squad…the one for Jesus as we cheer each other on in the faith. And yes, marriage does take three, the husband, wife and Jesus! Love and hugs!
Amen and amen! It’s quite easy to cling to the fallacy of a perfect mate or fairytale husband. I’ve found that by working through those tough seasons or situations, I’m changed and our marriage is far better than ever expected. But it requires work, and the enemy seems to run on overtime, suggesting hard work isn’t necessary in marriage. Praise God we can cling to Him for light along the path. Enjoyed the visit, Karen, via #raralinkup.
Thank you, Kristi! And you’re so right about the work. God loves us with an everlasting love. A love that provides us the grace, mercy, and strength to strive toward imitating Christ in our marriage. It’s our only hope for life and marriage. Blessings!
This is just beautiful. Happy, happy anniversary Karen. It’s a really comforting thought as a fellow writer friend and reader that the words you write/preach here are just as important in your daily life. “Do as I do…” We need more of that! Blessings, lady.
Thanks so much, Meg. That love affair with Jesus keeps our eyes on Him and helps us in our other love relationships. May it be our prayer to become more and more like Christ in our marriage. If we die to self and live to Christ, we can glorify Him. Blessings!
Karen,
I can’t imagine being in ministry and having your married life be under the microscope of so many. It’s hard enough doing marriage on the sidelines. But, you have the opportunity to live out the message that there are no fairytale marriage, only a wonderful and loving God, Who if placed as the cornerstone in our marriages, can see us through the most trying of times.
Great post!
Blessings,
Bev xx
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