We all love the glamor of a beautiful wedding. The bride floats down the aisle in a shimmering gown, and the groom seems a knight in shining armor. No day can be more perfect.
Yet, nearly fifty percent of all modern marriages end in divorce, and closer to eighty percent of Hollywood marriages go down that sad path. What happens? Where does the love go?
When we look to the Bible, we find God’s checklist for a successful marriage. Today we will look at three of the boxes God expects us to tick off if we are to receive his blessing on our relationship.
Box #1:
We must jump into the raging river with no safety harness.
Genesis 2:24 tells us to leave our father and our mother, and become one with our spouse. We are theirs, and they are ours, no matter what.
No matter how long a couple dates, a week into the marriage, both will realize that the person they married isn’t the person they dated. The emotions grow ragged, and they begin to look for that initial feeling of love they felt back before it went all wrong. They pull out their prenups, call up Mom, and soon, the relationship has unraveled.
If we provide ourselves a safety harness, we won’t be forced to depend on each other when the rapids threaten to overtake us.
Box #2:
We must throw away our diapers and put on our big-boy pants.
Little children know no better than to rant and rave when their parents don’t give them their way. However, as we mature, we must treat our parents with respect.
Exodus 20:12 tells us we must honor our parents if we expect to have a full and happy marriage.
If we cannot honor the ones who gave us life, how can we find fulfillment in the one with whom we want to share our life?
Box #3:
We must choose God over all the temptations of this world.
Joshua 24:15 tells us that we are responsible to choose our own gods. If our neighbor worships the god of money, so be it. If another worships individual freedoms, they have made their choice. However, we must choose the ways of God.
We must stand in the midst of the raging river and proclaim, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Then and only then will our marriage have God’s blessings.
The Reward:
Psalm 103:17 shows us God’s reward for choosing to follow him instead of all the glittering enticements the world has to offer. We read that if we fear him and choose to follow his commandments, we can depend on his mercies to be with us forever, and he will shower his righteousness on our children and our grandchildren.
There is no going back on marriage. When both spouses honor their parents, commit to each other, and choose to live for God, then God will bless that union unto the end of days.
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