Do you ever wonder, why should or would you get married? Some people get married because they think it will make them happy. Some people get married because they’re lonely. You can be single and lonely, but it is even worse to be married and lonely. And a lot of people are lonely in their marriages. Almost a third of married people say they feel lonely. Some people want to get married because they think, I can have sex anytime I want! And some people want to get married because they feel like that’s what they are expected to do. But notice, all of these reasons are about personal fulfillment. They’re about me, not about the other person.
It turns out that marriage is not a man-made idea, but it is God’s idea! God came up with the concept of marriage, so we have to learn to do it God’s way. Any other way is bound to fail!
We’re going to look at the picture of a good meal, or a dinner date to talk through the process of growing a healthy, godly, and lasting marriage.
The Appetizer (Friendship)
Friendship is a reciprocal relationship made up of Faithfulness, Respect, Intimacy (into-me-see and openness), Encouragement, Niceness (not mean), and Dependability.
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24
“For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24
The Main Course (Celebrate your Differences)
Jesus said, “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’” And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.” Matthew 19:4-6
Instead of competing with each other, we’ve got to learn to complete each other.
If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Ecclesiastes 4:10
The Dessert (Romance)
“Let your mate’s affection fill you at all times with delight.” Proverbs 5:19 (RSV)
If we had more courting in our marriages, we would have fewer marriages in court!
Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun–all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. Ecclesiastes 9:9
Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 1 Corinthians 7:5
Seal your marriage in Christ.
If we didn’t have Jesus in the center of our marriage, we wouldn’t be married today. Some people think we have it all together. But, God has kept us together when we thought we couldn’t go on. When we couldn’t make it with our own love and strength, His love and His strength carried us through and kept us glued together. Marriage is hard work and there are times that ours has been completely broken! Jesus is the superglue that keeps a marriage together.