God’s Word declares that “he who finds a wife finds what is
good and receives favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 18:22,
New International Version). The same is true for women
who find loving and responsible husbands. Marriages are the
building blocks of communities, societies and, ultimately, civilizations.
A society is only as strong as its marriages and families.
From the beginning God taught that “a man shall leave his father
and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh”
(Genesis 2:24). This special arrangement, this bond between a man
and woman, was intended to last, as traditional marriage ceremonies
put it, “until death do us part.” It was designed to be a lifelong relationship
(Romans 7:2-3) that would produce godly children (Malachi 2:15)
and help both spouses better understand the deep, loving relationship
between Jesus Christ and the members of “the household of God,” His
Church (Ephesians 5:25-32; 2:19-22).
A happy marriage is one of the greatest blessings we can enjoy. God
intended for couples to live happily ever after once they exchanged
their marriage vows. To this end Ecclesiastes 9:9 instructs husbands to
“enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting
life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in
life, and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun” (New
American Standard Bible). Likewise, wives should enjoy life with
their husbands.
Yet, judging by the divorce rates in many countries, mankind has not
learned how to do this. Everyone wants a good marriage, but few are
willing to follow God’s instructions that, if followed, would produce
loving, committed relationships.
God designed marriage and wants us to be happily married (Genesis
2:24). For success in this area of life, we need to learn from the Creator
of marriage the principles that lead to happy, successful unions. In
short, we need to understand and apply concepts that work rather than
following modern paths that so often lead to failure.
