MARRIAGE DYNAMICS (Vol. 12)
Mystery about Marriage
Covenant Marriage is a Concept!
The idea of covenant marriage began with God. The concept or original idea of marriage began with Him. The idea of marriage came because God, through marriage, wanted to demonstrate His relational nature through His image bearers.
Why did God want Adam to get married? God wanted Adam, His image bearer, to express his relational nature with someone who is human like him. That is why God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” -Gen. 2:18.
Marriage is not man’s idea but God’s. It is not man’s institution but God’s. Marriage is not man-made but God-made. Therefore, the desire to get married is borne out of God’s original purpose and design for mankind.
Marriage is a divine concept. It is God’s idea or plan for maintaining and sustaining the earth. We can then say that marriage is not accidental but providential. That is why God places great value on marriage.
To God, marriage is not just a romantic or emotional experience but a spiritual encounter. Marriage is for transformation and not only satisfaction. Marriage is a covenant.
To God, marriage is a means of forming, reforming, and transforming His children until they are conformed to His image through Jesus Christ. This is the concept of God for marriage. This is covenant image.
Covenant Marriage is a Construction!
Marriage is like a building project that always undergoes construction or development. Covenant marriage is a process; it is an ongoing construction. It is a construction project that never finishes.
Remember that in Genesis 2:21-22, God worked on Adam first before He worked on making Eve. The truth is this: unless God works on you, He cannot work on your spouse. Unless God changes you, He cannot change your spouse.
God is in the business of making marriages work. Covenant marriage is knowing that “Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted” (Psalms 127:1) Covenant marriage also believes that there is a human part in the working of marriage. Proverbs 14:1 says, “A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands” (NLT).
Couples in covenant marriage are inspired and guided by Serenity Prayer that says, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”
Don’t try to clone the type of husband or wife you want to marry. Or don’t try to clone the husband or wife you have married into the type of spouse you want. Accept who God has designed and made for you.