Although many marriages end in divorce, marriage is still one of the most beautiful of all earthly relationships. When a man and a woman are committed to one another in the bonds of marriage and in the practice of genuine love; there exists in that relationship a depth of purpose, friendship, and strength unequaled by other earthly relationships. Such is God’s plans for marriage. Unfortunately, that is not the state of things as it exists in many marriages. If you are among those who are blessed with that kind of marriage, let me congratulate you for your commitment and encourage you to keep doing the things you are doing that make your marriage strong. We need your example in a world that is desperately searching for happiness in the home. If we are honest, most of us will admit that there are difficult times even in the best of marriages.
A good marriage demands a lot of hard work. Some are not willing to put out the effort. Others think that good marriages just sort of happen all by themselves–that they were “just meant to be.” In other words, we are not responsible for marital success or failure–it’s just a matter of chance. One writer described the present-day marriage dilemma in these words: “The problem is that many of the people who say ‘I DO’ — don’t.” The underlying problem in marriage today is the problem of commitment. If we are going to reverse our slide toward “throw away marriages,” we must get serious about building our marriages on the solid foundation revealed in God’s word.
A marriage that glorifies God and blesses mankind is one that is entered into with careful preparation. Marriage is not something a person should enter into frivolously or half-heartedly. Jesus said, “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate” (Mt. 19:6). Marriage is a lifetime commitment. Many enter marriage like a professional athlete signing a contract. He wants to play for the big bucks, but he also wants an escape clause in his contract in case things don’t work out the way that he plans. But, when Jesus spoke of marriage, He spoke of lifetime commitment. That is why preparation is so important.
Among other things, marriage requires maturity, understanding, compassion, and love. These are qualities best manifested by the mind of Christ (Ph. 2:5). In preparing for marriage, we would do well to focus on developing these qualities in our own lives first and then look for a mate who would enhance the growth of Christlikeness in us. When both husband and wife strive, hand in hand, to develop the mind of Jesus, marriage achieves its grandest potential and maintains its greatest level of happiness and security.
— Glen Elliott —