Marriage was designed to be a permanent commitment to one another before God.
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” Matthew 19:5-6
It’s the idea of taking two pieces of plywood and gluing them together. Once the glue has set, try to separate the two sheets. It’s impossible to do so without causing irreparable damage to both pieces of wood. You will also note in this passage that Jesus speaks of leaving father and mother. Couples are to be bound to one another, with God as the glue. This is why there are often problems when one spouse wants their family to be the other partner in the relationship rather than the spouse they married. This causes nothing but dissention and can undermine the marriage commitment. There is nothing wrong with input from the in-laws, but do not give them sole authority in the relationship with your mate. Let them attend to their own marriages; you attend to yours.
To solidify God’s intention that marriage be permanent, read Romans 7:2-3. God’s intent was that, ideally, death should be the only circumstance that dissolves a marriage. He means for marriage to be a lifelong commitment.
Is there evidence in your relationship that there are still chains from the past that prevent you from totally committing to your marriage? What does that evidence look like? Do you see cracks in your marital foundation because of ties to things other than your spouse? What steps can be taken to reduce these outside interferences?
©2014 Eric A. Disney, Marriage by Design
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Marriage by Design 