Strong Foundation for a Marriage
ICS Daily Devotions
Luke 6:47-49 (NKJV) “Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”
When a couple gets married, both leave their parents and are cleaved together as one flesh. One flesh means being stuck together physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Because they have established their marriage as a covenant instead of a contract, they will face every trial, tribulation, and test together, and journey with each other till death do they part.
They will have a vision for their marriage, such as having one to two children in the first five years. However, they also need to agree upon who would stay home to look after the children during the formative years of their lives. They should also have a joint bank account and place all their assets in both names since they have taken the view that marriage is a covenant where all resources are shared between two parties.
The couple should expect necessary adjustments at different stages of the marriage. They need to discuss and clarify their expectations of the roles and responsibilities of a husband, wife, father, and mother, and manage their expectations accordingly. For a marriage to work, the couple will need to continually extend grace to and help each other. It is much easier to do so when the marriage is based on Agape love, which is unconditional, so that they will not demand rights, and privileges, or have conditions and escape clauses. This way, they will have the maturity to work out differences even if there is a period of disenchantment. The constant and conscientious practice of each other’s love languages will ensure that both parties’ emotional reservoirs are full. Seeing parents express love to each other will also help their children to be emotionally and psychologically healthy.
Because money is one of the most contentious topics in a marriage, it is wise to have a frank and open discussion about finances as early as possible so that the couple is aware of each other’s spending habits, lifestyles, and the differences between a man’s and a woman’s expenses.
When a couple is of one flesh, they will be of one heart to worship God, strive to have the same theological conviction, and live their lives based on the teachings of the Bible. Establishing a marriage as a covenant is what gives it a strong foundation that will withstand testing when difficulties come.
Sermon Series：Before You Say I Do
