Thoughts on marriage

We're all at different stages in our life's journey. Here are some thoughts on marriage. The first man Adam enjoyed perfect health, had the perfect job and lived in the perfect environment. He even went for walks with God every day! But, he was lonely and incomplete. So God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him' (Genesis 2:18 NIV). Note the word 'helper'. God created marriage partners to help us grow.

There's a physical, emotional and spiritual bond in marriage. Marriage partners should be our 'closest person'. This calls for communication! And good communication is based on asking the right questions and listening carefully to the answers. It means asking, 'How are things with you?' then listening long enough for hidden emotions to surface. It's a place to listen until we understand concerns, feelings, fears, hopes and dreams, and to assess real needs.

Way back at the beginning of the Bible, God said, 'A man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh' (Genesis 2:24 NIV). In reality they are still individuals, and marriage must be worked on, but God's heart is for marriage partners to do life well together.



So what now? Pray for marriages - for yours, your family's, your friends', society's. When marriage is done well, families and societies thrive.





— SCRIPTURE —

'I will make a helper suitable for him.' Genesis 2:18 NIV
— SOULFOOD —

2 Ki 10-12, Mark 12:28-44, Ps 132:11-18, Pro 13:7-8