The meaning of marriage in a Christian perspective

Genesis 2:18, 21-24 The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him’...and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.’ For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. We can conclude from this biblical account that marriage is God’s idea, designed and instituted by the Creator. In these verses we also discover that at the heart of God’s design for marriage is companionship and intimacy. From a sociological perspective, marriage is the conduit by which children are born and also provides parents for the children. From a legal perspective, marriage is the voluntary union for life of a man and a woman and may be binding on possessions, income and privacy. It can be legally dissolved through divorce. The Christian Marriage The Christian marriage binds souls. It is a spiritual covenant with God as the third party. Both spouses take vows to love and cherish one another and to stay together through sickness and health, for better or worse till death separates them. This agreement includes sexual fidelity and a promise that each person will do what they can to make the other happy. Holy matrimony portrays Christ’s love for the church. The Bible commands husbands to love their wives just like Christ loved the church and gave His life for it (Ephesians 5:25). To understand the true meaning of marriage, you first have to be individually married to Jesus. He is the one who can impart to you the patience, self-control, understanding and selfless love it takes to sustain a marriage. He is the only one who can identify a compatible partner for you because He knows you inside out. Jesus will never force you to marry someone you do not love like some Christians do today. If necessary, he will work miracles to make you see that other person in his perspective-with sheer love-so that you can love and tolerate them all your lives. The most important functions of a marriage are companionship and procreation. Companionship In a true love marriage, the husband and wife are each other’s best friends. They understand each other best and look out for one another’s interests. Marriage gives you someone to talk to and share your innermost feelings and responsibilities with. When you meet the right person, you will want to spend the rest of your life with them but he or she has to feel the same way about you. However, what really cements the relationship is the love both of you share for God and how far you will let Him control your lives. God is an expert at binding two people together and delights in blessing those who are in unison (Mathew 21:21-22). So before we set out looking for true life companions let us look for God. He is the best companion and will find you a suitable companion just like He did for Adam in Genesis 2:21-24 Procreation This is the essence and beauty of a marriage. You may have children outside marriage but they might not benefit from the rich values and love of a true Christian marriage. Some of the children from broken or single parent homes end up leading a lifestyle similar to their parents’ or fail in marital relationships (if they are not spiritually delivered from such traumatic experiences). Some do not even know their fathers and grow up being called ‘bastards’. I should hasten to add that no child deserves such a label as ‘bastard’. A child is a child. Children born in a sacred marriage stand a better chance of becoming emotionally, mentally and morally fit but only if they adhere to the values that abound in a Godly home. For a marriage to enjoy God’s blessings, both spouses have to strive to give the best to their offspring materially, emotionally and spiritually. This is through providing children with basic needs, education, emotional and moral support as well as Godly fellowship. Remember, once you are a parent you become a role model. How you conduct yourself will determine your child’s behavior and future. The following points should be considered before marriage; • Take a step of marriage only if you are capable of loving because marriage demands a lot of sacrifice on your part for the other person. Jesus can love and teach you how to love others selflessly if you accept Him into your life. • Do not just marry anyone for the sake of it. As a Christian you have to be true to your feelings, if you do not feel anything for the other person then you should not force it. Besides a good character, material comfort and physical looks that most people crave for, you also have to consider emotional security. • For God’s sake, do not get married to someone who is not in love with you, this is equivalent to tying a rope around your neck and giving the person control over it! • Do not rush: Remember, attaining the age for marriage does not guarantee getting the right partner. A wise man said he would rather spend 10 years of bliss in marriage than 20 years of stress then divorce Contact: jidgas@gmail.com