Delighting in God’s Design for Marriage - Crosswalk PLUS Marriage Devotional

1. Marriage was present at creation; it wasn't good for man to be alone, so God created Eve as a helper to Adam.
2. Marriage is a gift from God. The union of man and woman is sacred, symbolizing God's covenant or promise with His people.
3. Marriage was designed to bring two people together for mutual benefit, but it also provides enjoyment, love, and support.

So what happened? Well, the short answer is sin. More specifically, what was once meant as a blessing is now subject to life in a fallen world.

We often look to our marriages for fulfillment and validation. No human can do that; the only person who can is Jesus.

Marriage is challenging work; even the best marriages require hard work. It is the union of two sinful people trying to do life together. So, how do we make it work? We honor God's design for marriage and call out to Him daily to guide, lead, and direct us individually and together.

The goal is to have a holy marriage, but the hope is that we will also experience happiness. When both husband and wife seek righteousness, we can also have true happiness.

I love what John Piper shares about the relationship between happiness and holiness, "Happiness is part of holiness," he said. "If you tried to describe for me what it means to be a holy person, leaving out happiness in God, you can't do it. There is no such thing as holiness minus happiness in God. Happiness in God is — I will risk it — the essence of holiness."

So, he is saying that when we strive for holiness, we will find happiness in God in return.

When we apply this to our marriage, we are working on ourselves (not trying to change or fix our spouses, but relinquishing that work to the Holy Spirit) and dying to our desires and sins. Each day, we surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit and pursue holiness, making us more like Jesus. We will naturally experience happiness because our joy is not based on our circumstances; it is found in Christ alone.

We also need to go back and look at God's design of roles in our marriage. As outlined in Ephesians 5, a holy marriage is one where the wives submit to the husbands, and husbands are to love their wives as God loves the church. Often, our lack of happiness stems from an altering of God's design for our unique roles. The Lord is not expecting our marriages to be perfect, but one that perfectly relies on God.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, in a world that doesn't value marriage, let us, through our commitment to one another as husband and wife, show the world the work of the gospel. We ask that you help us submit to Your good design for marriage and our specific but unique roles within our unions. We pray that we are guided to holiness, hoping we will experience happiness with our spouses. We love you, Lord, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Challenge:

For our marriages to be firmly rooted in Christ, we must each have a solid spiritual foundation. Are you studying God's Word individually and together and applying its truths to your marriage?

Laura Bailey is an author and Bible teacher who encourages others to understand what they believe, why it matters, and how to apply biblical truths to their lives. Laura holds a certificate in Biblical Women's Studies from SEBTS and serves as a workplace chaplain and the director of women’s ministries at her church. She is the author of multiple books and Bible studies; her most recent one on Habakkuk explores Habakkuk’s message of hope Amid Uncertainty. She lives in Upstate South Carolina with her husband and 3 daughters.  She attends Macedonia Baptist Church, where she is the director of Women’s Ministry and teaches Bible studies weekly.  Learn more about her ministry and her books: www.LauraRBailey.com connect on Facebook and Instagram. 

We hope you and your spouse are challenged and encouraged by today's devotional! For more of this premium marriage devotional, visit here.