When I was a little girl, there were two things I knew I wanted. I wanted to be married and I wanted to have children. As I grew to understand what biblical marriage and headship looks like, I desired it more. Biblical marriage removed the pressure I placed on myself, instead, I fixed my eyes on the one who created marriage, God. Although I desired to be married when I was young I realized that I had to learn what marriage is all about first. There had to be more to it than a nice wedding and not being alone. And there is!
God created marriage to be a picture of Christ’s relationship with the church (God’s people). Paul made it clear for us in Ephesians 5:22-33 ,” 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.[a] 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Our role as a Wife/Husband..
As a Christian, to desire marriage is to desire to be a living example of Christ’s relationship with us. As a wife, I submit to my husband, not because I always want to but out of obedience of what scripture states. “Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.” The more I strive to submit to Christ the more I see the need to submit to my husband. My marriage is not all about me and what makes me comfortable rather about Christ and how to imitate Him so we may be presented “without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” before Christ when he returns.
My husband has a huge responsibility as well. He is to love me as Christ loves the church and gave himself up for her. He must cleanse me by the washing of the water of the word. He is to love me as he loves his own body. He must leave his mother and father and hold fast to me so we can be one flesh. If my husband’s desire is God’s desire for us then we will not fail in becoming one flesh before a culture that is opposed to this. If my desire as a wife is God’s desire for us then we will not fail in becoming one flesh before a culture that is opposed to this.
We are one because we are two people that desire to live out Christ’s relationship with His church. May this be true for you too!
Let’s pray.
Lord, thank you for marriage and for giving us a desire to be married. I pray for all husbands and wives to remember that you are the creator of marriage and that in return we would desire to honor you in our marriage. I pray for Christ’ relationship with us (the church) to be a beautiful example of how we must live with each other. Help us to know that this is for our good. In Jesus name, Amen.
