Pop megastar Justin Bieber appears to be taking the whole marriage preparation thing very seriously. After being spotted in a tearful moment with his fiance, Haily Baldwin, earlier this week, it appears Bieber is keen to glean some wisdom from New York pastor, Tim Keller. He was spotted with a copy of Keller’s book “The Meaning of Marriage” under his arm while hanging out in New York Wednesday.
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When photographers and fans asked how Bieber and Baldwin were doing following their overtly emotional moment, Justin simply held up the book for paparazzi to snap a pic. “This,” he said, pointing to the book. “You got good days and you got bad days,” the musician told TMZ as he left Hailey’s apartment building.
“It’s not real if it doesn’t have any bad days,” Bieber added, gesturing that this was one nugget of advice he had garnered from Keller’s book. The well-respected pastor is the founder of New York’s “Redeemer Presbyterian Church” and is an internationally renowned preacher and speaker on Christian apologetics.
The book Bieber is referring to is a common read for Christian couples whoa re getting ready to tie the knot. “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope,” Keller writes in the popular work.
As for the remark Bieber made about the inevitability of having “bad days” when it comes to any romantic relationship, you can see exactly where he got this from in Keller’s writings.
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“In any relationship, there will be frightening spells in which your feelings of love dry up,” the pastor writes. “And when that happens you must remember that the essence of marriage is that it is a covenant, a commitment, a promise of future love.”
He continues:
“So what do you do? You do the acts of love, despite your lack of feeling. You may not feel tender, sympathetic, and eager to please, but in your actions you must BE tender, understanding, forgiving and helpful. And, if you do that, as time goes on you will not only get through the dry spells, but they will become less frequent and deep, and you will become more constant in your feelings. This is what can happen if you decide to love.”
But don’t mistake Bieber’s recent emotional state for unhappiness. It appears to be quite the contrary. “Justin being emotional has nothing to do with him not being happy. It’s the opposite. He is the happiest he has ever been,” said a source close to the star, according to PEOPLE. “He wonders if he deserves the happiness, and that’s partly why he is emotional.”
One thing is sure, Bieber is setting himself up for an enduring marriage that set to impact millions for Jesus. Of course, they will face adversity, but they appear to be determined to get the best start possible.
“If your marriage is strong, even if all the circumstances in your life around you are filled with trouble and weakness, it won’t matter,” Keller declares
It’s so good to see Bieber getting some sound, godly counsel before he makes the biggest commitment of his life! Let’s pray for the couple as they enter into this new phase.