The Gift of Marriage
The beautiful gift of marriage was given to us at the very beginning. It was untainted by pride or jealousy. There was no contest for leadership, no arguing over the many petty things that we find ourselves quibbling over. There was no wandering eyes or unfaithful thoughts. Marriage, in the beginning, was perfect, but like everything else, it would soon bear the curse of Adam and Eve’s fall from righteousness.
Despite the challenges that come with binding your life to another person, marriage remains a beautiful and wonderful gift from our loving Creator. The truth still remains, “It is not good that the man should be alone.” (verse 18) Marriage creates a union of two lives, two hearts, two minds, and two wills. It is not easy. It requires sacrifice and cooperation. It requires places another person above yourself. But then, aren’t those things that our Christianity requires? Are we not called to sacrifice our desires and our will to God? Are we not asked to place the needs of others above ourselves? Forgiveness and loving our neighbor asks no less than everything from our hearts and yet that is exactly what we are commanded to do. Christ told us, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)
Scripture explains to us that the many things God has given us are shadows of heavenly things (Hebrews 8:5). Marriage also serves as an example of spiritual truths. Ephesians 5:23-35 explains: “For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” In the same way that Christ did not do his own will but rather the will of his Father in Heaven, so husbands lead their families under the authority and direction of Christ. In the same way that we obey Christ as our Savior and Messiah, wives should obey their husbands as leaders of the family unit. It requires sacrifice. It requires love. It requires forgiveness and grace. Marriage, like life, gives us opportunities to practice God’s mandate to “be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44).
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