LOVE AND MARRIAGE
To truly understand marriage we must go back to the beginning (The Genesis). When we look at creation, we will be able to see God’s perfect plan. Marriage is not just a good idea. It is God’s idea.
Before the advent of any institution, government, administration or ministry marriage was on the scene. That is why I don’t understand why some people place their occupation or ministry before marriage. Some go to the extreme of saying that relationship with the Lord is more important than my marriage. What they don’t realize is that your marriage is as important as your life and God considers it priority.
It’s not a coincidence that the first miracle recorded of Jesus was the one in Cana of Galilee. Even Jesus said his time was not yet he went ahead and saved the day. One important truth there is this. Marriage proves the relevance of Ministry. It’s not the other way round.
Some people would rather work on their ministry than on their marriage. They are so concerned to reach the world for the Lord and are missing the point: That the Lord gave to give them abundant life which includes their marriage (John 10:10)
We need to look at the beginning to understand the heart of God in the matter of marriage. Now first of all we must answer this question. Why did God create man?
Was he created to love God or did God create man to love him?
If the answer is the first then God failed. This is so because man does not love God naturally and again that would suggest that God has a need which makes Him insufficient. God cannot be needy.
If God created man to love him then it means that He must love him unconditionally. You would never find any new born parent whispering into the ears of his/her new born child “I Hope you love me, I hope you live for me” God made man as the object of His love. Adam was God’s type for him to express his goodness and He placed in a garden where everything was provided for.
But God made an interesting remark in Genesis 2:18:
“Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.“
Now note that God said this before Sin entered the world. It was not good that be alone. Now please also he was alone but not lonely. Loneliness is not the same as being alone. To be alone is to be complete and whole. To be lonely is to be without direction.
Marriage is a not cure for loneliness. There are loads of lonely people who are married. Just as there are many people who cannot find joy because they think their partners will complete them. What many people don’t realize is that no man has the capacity to be the source of your joy and peace.
God invested his love into Adam and consequently Adam became a conduit of His love. But the problem was that there no one like him to love. Adam was created with the need not just to be loved but the need to love.
Eve came at the time in his life when he realized that need. So God put Adam on anesthesia while He performed the surgery of creation. Adam was in a trance seeing God make Eve from Him. By the time he was awake and saw Eve he declared “This one at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;” (Genesis 2:23)
Many people see their children as the flesh of their flesh. This is why they can’t maintain their marriage but can fight to hold custody of their children. Paul told the men to love their lives as their own body.
We are not to love our spouse so that they can love us in return but because we have received the love of God. Human love always runs bankrupt in marriage but agape love continues where human love ceases.
God did not create marriage to solve our problems but as a platform where unconditional love can find its fullest expression. People can be truly be successful in marriage when they understand that we don’t give love to get but we give love because we have received love.
Fill yourself today with the revelation of the love of the father God and you will see transformation in life and marriage. Marriage is the only institution that captures the mysterious relationship of Christ and His bride, the church. When our hearts are enlightened by the light of his love we will enjoy His life in abundance.