God and Marriage

God and Marriage           

Is God really involved in marriage?

Do you remember “The Bundy’s”? You know the 80’s iconic show. The show was called “Married with Children”. A very funny show about a dysfunctional marriage. The theme song was “Love and Marriage”. Well, I want to write about marriage but instead of love and marriage, I want to focus on God and Marriage. God designed marriage so He gets to define what it is. God and Marriage- you can’t have one without the other!

Malachi 2:14
Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant.

Mark 10:7-9
“‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

 

What’s the purpose of marriage?

Ephesians 5:31-33
“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Ephesians 5 reveals how marriage is a type of the incredible love relationship between Jesus Christ and His Bride, the Church. No love could be greater! The Bible is the ultimate love story when understood in its overall concept and purpose.

 

What is true love?

1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails…

These verses give us the characteristics of true love. These qualities can certainly be found in the person of Jesus, and they can be found in all truly loving relationships. The problem with trying to “find” love in our dating lives, is that normally we don’t look for these characteristics. Instead  we look at physical appearance, popularity, or wealth.

These are not the qualities that God looks at and neither should we.

But the LORD said to Samuel, “…The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
I Samuel 16:7b (NIV)

Love is best seen as devotion and action, not an emotion.

 

God and Marriage – In every marriage, things go wrong. What if the problem is not my fault?

Proverbs 14:12
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

Philippians 2:3-5
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…

Proverbs 15:1
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

1 Thessalonians 5:15
See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

Again since God is the author of marriage He defines it. Only HE can. We have the best instruction manual for marriage, The Bible.

 

God and Marriage – What should we say to help heal our relationships?

Psalm 51:1, 10 
Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins…
Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.

The best thing you can ever learn to say in your marriage is this- “I was wrong and I’m sorry”

Proverbs 15:1 

15 A gentle answer turns away wrath,
    but a harsh word stirs up anger.

You will be amazed if you don’t shout or use harsh words with your spouse. The whole climate of the disagreement changes. It seems so easy to just say “be nice” but that is really what this verse is saying.

Ephesians 4:32
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

If a husband and wife are Christians this is the way conflict should be resolved. Not moving out. Not packing a bag to spend the weekend with Mom. We must forgive. We must work it out.

 

Ephesians 5:25
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her…

Jesus died for His church. Husband do you love your wife that much.?

Titus 2:4 (New Living Translation)
These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children.

Wife’s do you see that verse? Read it again. It says that the older women trained the younger women to love their husbands. 

I’m gonna be honest sometimes us men can just be unlovable. But so can you women. Love is a verb. It is not something that  we fall in to. It is something that is learned. Love is how you treat each other. Love is not a feeling. Our culture lies to us about love but God will not.

One big step you can take towards healing a relationship is say your that you are sorry.

 

God and Marriage – Can my marriage really be happy?

Proverbs 5:18-19
Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of your youth.
As a loving deer and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times; and always be enraptured with her love.

Ecclesiastes 9:9
Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.

 

Yes! Your marriage can be a happy one. It takes effort from both sides. At Paradise Beach Weddings we think it is important for a couple to pray together, read the Bible together, go to church together. We wish you many blessings upon your marriage! Love and Marriage is good but God and Marriage is much better! 

Check out more about us Who We Are – Robert and Amy Bullock