"Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." Ecclesiastes 4:12
What is the purpose of marriage? What are the implications of marriage for the kingdom of God? How do we see our lives in terms of the Great Commission spoken of in Matthew 28:19
The apostle Paul reminds us that this world is not our home, we are pilgrims on a journey. How can marriage help us navigate our way on this journey of life? Are there powers and principalities in the spiritual realm (Ephesians 6:12) that seek to attack marriage? Why?
We are looking for some perspectives from both singles and marrieds. Please share your thoughts and ideas by clicking on the comments link below.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Talk Tuesday-Why Marriage?
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9 comments:
I am single, so my comment may not be from practical experience and may therefore be somewhat idealistic but I'll post it for what it's worth. I believe that marriage is a God-ordained partnership that He established so that we His children would have the support and a human "sounding board" that we need when going through the trials and tribulations of our earthly existence. As with all of our positive experiences of this world, it seems that the devil will try anything to "upset the apple cart", in as many ways as he can.
Life is a journey. I truly believe that there are 2 choices that matter the most: to accept God or to reject God. When the apostle Paul cautions us about being unequally yoked with a non-believer, it is for good reason.
A cord of three strands represents the binding of the husband, the wife and Christ in the midst. Ecclesaistes 4:12 talks about the strength of two walking together. We have been commissioned to share the Gospel of Salvation, the Good News of Jesus Christ. In a Godly marriage, God chastens you and molds you in the image and likeness of Christ. He shows you the things about yourself that are perhaps hidden and teaches you sacrificial love. It is amazing how many times in both the Old and New Testaments that the marriage covenant is used to describe God's relationship with man.
re why spiritual attacks on marriage...The enemy comes to steal, kill & destroy anything that is holy & good & pleasing to God, including marriage. Marriage - all marriages - need to be prayed for consistently because it is definitely under attack, and the statistics in the body of Christ don't fare better than national averages.
Marriage is "the" way the enemy accomplishes much. By all means, no glorification is given to the devil, however he is constantly producing counterfeits and systems of deception. For broken homes produce many spiritual ills and societal dilemmas. Many people turn to a distorted definition of love, some self medicate through sex, drugs, alcohol, violence -- all of which do not glorify our Lord. Marriage is ordained by God, and He is to be glorified through it. Unfortunately many of us have turned to a cultural Christianity, which too often mixes the sacred with the profane. This can explain why we can see the divorce rates in the church mirror those in the world. We need to study the Word to understand God's plans (not our own) in marriage.
Janelle, that is very deep. That is a term I haven't really heard before, 'a cultural christianity'. It makes a lot of sense. Anonymous pointed out that the divorce rate among Christians are pretty much the same as among non-believers. This gives credence to your statement of mixing the sacred and the profane. There is definitely a seductive spirit that speaks to the glorification of self, the potential of humankind without God..etc. The message is 'I' instead of 'We'.
You state a lot of truths in regards to the cascading effect of broken marriages on society.
Natasha, there is a great pastor from Alabama, and he does many missionary work in South America, Eastern Europe and certain parts of Africa. His name is Paul Washer, and he was the one who I first heard the term "cultural Christianity". His ministerial website is www.heartcrymissionary.com.
He has a sermon about the glory of God in marriage, and it is absolutely amazing! If you ever have the chance, check out his website.
I am single, but thankfully have a lot of married friends (happily and not so much) that I have been able to learn from, and I've done a lot of reading on it since getting saved almost six years ago.
From all that I've read and heard, apart from ensuring the multiplication of the human race and the raising of children in a secure, stable environment, I believe the primary purpose of marriage is to glorify God, to advance His kingdom purposes, to ensure the continuation of godly seed in every generation,and to ensure that the world has a picture of the relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as well as a picture of the relationship with Christ and His church (quite a lot of purposes, eh?).
For us as believers, I think marriage is a way of learning how to become more like Christ ... through sacrificial love and service. Dying to yourself for the benefit of your spouse and the union itself ... becoming someone greater than you could have on your own.
I believe the Lord also uses marriage to help us see some things about ourselves that need His healing in ways that other relationships would not necessarily be designed to bring to light.
I believe a union between a committed Christ-following man and woman is also a powerful tool in the Lord's hand to minister to others, believers and unbelievers alike, through their example, perseverance, and faithfulness. It is also such a beautiful thing to see a couple serve God together in ministry, even if in different ways. They can pray for and encourage each other along that journey, and give feedback for each other's blind spots.
But some of the other earthly benefits include a godly outlet for sexual expression, rewarding companionship, a sounding board as Dawn said even for little everyday issues, and strength for battles as Natasha said. For man, I believe a strong, supportive, godly wife is a powerful encouragement and really builds him up for the battles in this world. For a woman, I believe a godly, committed husband provides a comforting covering and helps her feel safe, physically and emotionally.
Of course many married people do not necessarily experience the level of satisfaction that God intended, but I believe that was His design in the beginning. The enemy is working overtime to attack this institution because it is an important underpinning factor to so many other aspects of our lives, whether we are married or not, and whether we realize the subtle benefits or not.
I believe the restoration and strengthening of marriages and families, and the increased creation of new, strong marriages and families, should ge high on our prayer priority list.
Thanks for the opportunity to share a few thoughts!
Marriage is an amazing thing. As most of you know I am married to Natasha, the cute lady in the picture with me. We have been married 6 years. It is such a blessing to be married to a woman that loves the Lord. She encourages me in the Lord and helps me become the man of God Jesus has designed me to be. Besides giving your life to Jesus, choosing your mate is the most important decision in your life. If you let God choose your spouse, marraige can be a wonderful experience. Being married to Natasha, I am constantly challenged in my walk with God. She also encourages me when I feel down. She is always there to lift my spirits with scripture or a word from God. That's what marraige should be. Tash I love you for that.
If you are waiting to get married, wait and trust God. God has the perfect person for you. Don't settle for the counterfeit. I waited for a long time for my wife, but God was faithful. He is always faithful.
Thanks Andrew ... that is very encouraging!
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