Two become one

Matthew 19: 6

6So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."


I have talked before about not going this journey alone, it is a long road, with many twists. You need someone there beside you. For me that would be my wife. My wife and I were just talking last night about how in today's world so many couples give up. How they seem so ready to throw in the towel at the first sign of trouble.

I used the passage above because I think many people today forget that marriage is more than just getting together with friends and family and "giving it a whirl". As the passage states they are no longer two, but one. They have pledged their lives to each other, their time, their understanding, and their love. They have (in most cases) made a commitment before God that they will take each other as is, come what may.

In 1Corinthinas 7:3 Paul's tells us that the husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. We have to be there for each other for the duration of the journey. I know for me my wife is far more than a companion. She is my compass when I feel lost, she is my therapist when I feel like I am going crazy, and at times she is my conscience. We do not do much without each other, we truly are one unit. That is not to say that everyday is a walk in the park, we have our challenges like everyone. The way to make it work is by working with each other instead of against.

We all know 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. This has to be one of the most used passages in weddings today. This passage is far more than just some words that sound good about marriage. It is a great blueprint of how to treat our spouses. When it is put that way it is easy to see why marriages do crumble today. Not proud, not self-seeking, keeps no record of wrongs......All too often spouses treat each other the exact opposite of these examples, worse yet, they will hold their spouse to a level of expectation higher than anyone else they know. They will demand near perfection from their spouse, never seeing just how short of the mark they are themselves. This is the cycle that need to be broken. We gave our word, now we need to follow through.
We would all do well to remember our spouses for what they are. They are the other half of us. We should lift them up as the best in ourselves, the half that we searched for and found. I know that there are circumstances that demand separation from a marriage, but with a divorce rate of over 50% it is less abuse, and more laziness.
Peace,
Rev. T