Are you married? I am.. Did you promise something to your spouse at your wedding? I did.. Can you honestly say that you respected the vows you claimed in front of many people and before God up until now? I can't... What about your spouse ? Did they promise you something at your wedding? Could they honestly say that they respected the vows they claimed on that day, up until now?
What is the point of marriage?
The goal?
I think you know it now : I am a christian. And as a christian, I believe that God is the one who invented marriage. So, He must know why, right?
Is the goal of marriage to have children? Maybe... He said to Adam and Eve to multiply and fill the earth, right?
But..
I think the main goal of marriage, is to make us more like Christ.
What do the Scriptures say about that?
This is what Paul writes to the Ephesians(5:22-33) :
22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[b] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Wives are supposed to submit to their own husbands as to the Lord and husbands are supposed to love their wives as Christ loves the Church!
Is it hard? It is.. Is it impossible? No, it's not! Because all things are possible to God!
Is it written that husbands are supposed to submit their wives? No.. It has to be voluntary from the wife. To submit to someone does not mean obey in everything and be silent.. It means put oneself under the protection of someone. So, as you submit to God, put your confidence in Him and are under His protection, so you should submit to your husband, put your confidence in him and come under his protection. God should be number one and your husband number two!
Husbands have a huge responsibility... To love their wife as Christ loved the Church! This means a sacrificial love, that will make her holy. They are called to love their wives just as themselves, just as their own body. As Christ is the head of the Church, so is the husband the head of the wife.
Paul concludes simply, summarizing it all : each one of you MUST love his wife as he loves himself and the wife MUST respect her husband.
This is an OBLIGATION! A commandment!
Is one a consequence of the other? Nope.. Each one of them are called to do their own part, unconditionally. Love, anyway, should be unconditional, just as God's Love is unconditional..
A wife should not submit to her husband only if he is a good husband, fulfilling her desires and "needs".
A husband should not love his wife only when she agrees with everything he decides.
Husband and Wife should be a "team", working together for the Glory of God, as a testimony before the world.
Is your husband a christian? No? Be a blessing to him, keep confidence in God, pray for him, take care of him, put him before everything but God, follow him as long as he doesn't go against God's will for you, maybe you will convince him to follow this God you serve with so much Love.
Is your wife a christian? No? Be a blessing to her, pray for her, serve her, take care of her, put her before everything but God, lead her with the counsel of God, show kindness and grace to her, maybe you will convince her to follow this God you serve with so much Love.
Is your husband a christian? Yes, but...? Is your wife a christian? Yes, but...
UNCONDITIONAL!
I already wrote about Love being a choice.. Love is not a feeling... When you don't feel like it... Keep loving him/her, just as Christ Loved us all, and gave himself up for us.
So? What is the goal of marriage?
What do you think about this? Do you agree? Do you disagree? Is there something to add?
God bless you!
♥
