Marriage doesn’t solve your problems. Marriage doesn’t create your problems. Marriage reveals your problems. It simply magnifies what was already a problem when you were living as a single adult.
So if marriage doesn’t solve your problems, what does marriage do? Why did God design marriage in the first place?
One reason is this: God created marriage for the deep companionship of men and women.
The Living Bible paraphrase says, “In God’s plan men and women need each other” (1 Corinthians 11:11).
Whether or not you get married, if you’re a woman, you need men in your life; if you’re a man, you need women in your life. Why? Because nobody holds the full image of God. Women get part of it and men get part of it, and we need each other. God wired us this way. God thought up gender, sex, and marriage. What a God!
Did you ever wonder why God made man first and then woman a little bit later? Why didn’t he make them both at the same time?
I think he did it for Adam’s benefit. I think he wanted Adam to realize how much he needed a woman in his life.
The Living Bible paraphrase says, “It isn’t good for man to be alone; I will make a companion for him” (Genesis 2:18).
You need companions in all different areas of your life. But marriage is a particularly significant way to provide companionship; it’s in a relational class all by itself.
Here’s what Jesus had to say about it: “‘God made them male and female’ from the beginning of creation. ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together” (Mark 10:6-9 NLT).
This passage makes three major points about marriage:
1. Marriage is God’s plan. It’s not a tradition you can just throw out.
2. Marriage is between a man and a woman. They were created to fit together for a purpose—the creation of everybody else.
3. Marriage is designed to be permanent. That doesn’t always happen, but marriage is meant to be for life.
Do you realize how radical those three statements are? Even if many people don’t believe them, they’re still the truth!
The reality of life today is that many people live outside of this marriage ideal. But the ideal still exists—even if it’s not the reality many people are living in or willing to accept.
When you choose to live within the boundaries God designed for marriage, you’ll enjoy the deep connection he intended it to bring.
Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
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