The husband and wife relationship is the building block of the family. Think about it. In the garden, even though God had created all kinds of animals, there was no-one like Adam, he was alone. God, however, determined that being alone wasn’t good for Adam, so God created Eve. Eve was Adam’s wife and helper, not just his lover or financial partner. She was to help Adam fill, subdue, and have dominion over the earth.
On the backbone of their relationship, Adam and Eve started a family. But it was their relationship with each other that was first. Which means it was their relationship with each other that needed to be healthy before any other relationship could. I believe one author captures the necessity of a healthy marriage relationship well when he says,
“Marriage has the power to set the course of your life as a whole. If your marriage is strong, even if all the circumstances in your life around you are filled with trouble and weakness, it won’t matter. You will be able to move out into the world in strength. However, if your marriage is weak, even if all the circumstances in your life around you are marked by success and strength, it won’t matter. You will move out into the world in weakness. Marriage has that kind of power — the power to set the course of your whole life. It has that power because it was instituted by God. And because it has that unequalled power, it must have an unequalled, supreme priority.” – The Meaning of Marriage, 131.
If there is one relationship, besides our relationship with God, that we need to get right, it is our relationship with our husband or wife. It has the power to build us up or tear us down.
Question for Reflection
- How is your relationship with your spouse?
Resources
Post adapted from my sermon A Wife’s Submission and a Husband’s Love