Gift of Marriage

Marriage is something that God gives as a gift to His children and is to be a reflection of the Trinity. I've been thinking about the gift of marriage lately and how beautiful it is when the true design of it is lived out the way God intended it to be.

I was thrilled today when I went to church and saw that the sermon was on marriage! We read Ephesians 5:21-33 and our Pastor talked about the ways in which marriages are supposed to reflect Christ's love for His Church. It's a sacrificial love that is so amazing, no one can fathom "how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." (Ephesians 3:18)

One of the points that our pastor talked about was submission. Now I know how sensitive this subject can be but before you stop reading please hear me out. I too believe in submission in a marriage, "wives are to submit to their husbands," but I don't believe that this gives a husband permission to dominate or justify abuse. My pastor did not believe in that either. Submission is not weak, it is strong. Did you know the definition of submission actually means to yield to? It's not to be stepped on or walked all over, it is something that one does out of love for the other.

I read something one time that helped me see the area of submission more clearly. I can't rememeber who it was exactly that touched upon this area but consider this: Christ submitted to the Father. Was Christ weak? No way! Christ is the most powerful and loving Man in all eternity, yet He submitted Himself to God's will! Before He went to the cross Christ prayed in the garden of Gethsemane that there would be another way for salvation to come but He didn't want His will to be done, He wanted God's will.

What if Christ didn't submit to the cross? What if He chose another way? What would have happened to us? His submission meant salvation for us all. That act of submission was more powerful than anything ever imagined!

After reading about submission in that light my whole view of this controversial subject was radically changed.

My pastor also touched upon how the Trinity is something that marriage should point to or reflect. Just like there is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in a similar fashion Christ is the head of the the marriage and the husband is the head of the wife. (Christ of course is still head of both the man and wife though just as God is the head of Christ but I am also pointing to what Paul said in Ephesians 5:23.) Some people cringe at the word "head" and I can understand why. But as my pastor pointed out it does not mean superior or better, it just means to lead. Men are to be the leaders in marriage.

Marriage is a gift from God. When a marriage is seen in light of God's design then that relationship is a blessing towards others so that they too can see the beauty and gift of His divine design.

I understand that not everyone will agree with this view but I pray that they take the time to seek the Scriptures, ask God about His design for marriage and talk to a mature and experienced pastor. God is faithful and He will show you!

I hope you all were blessed by this message because I know that when I heard it this morning I too felt very blessed and encouraged.

May God bless you all!
~Gretchen