Do you ever think about what Paul meant when he said in Ephesians 5:31- 32, (NIV) “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery, but I am talking about Christ and the Church.” It is so interesting and, as Paul says, so profound. A man and women joined together in marriage becoming one. The whole concept of what it means for the two to be one in body, soul and spirit is at times difficult for my small mind to comprehend. What is even more intriguing is that Paul was also saying that just as marriage is this profound union, so is the fact that God intended marriage to reflect the union of Christ with his bride, the church.
Our marriages, in some mysterious way, are to represent the kind of love, commitment, sacrifice, honor, respect and intimacy that Christ the groom, and His bride the church share. Wow! That is totally mind-blowing. I tend to think at times, “Really God, this is what you planned? Our marriage is the human representation of the greatest love story ever!?”
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I want to allow my marriage to teach me deep truths that are part of God’s eternal plan and purpose for marriage. I don’t want to let my marriage be less than that. I don’t want to settle.
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This truth pushes me to elevate my marriage from what I tend at times to want to make it about (my happiness, satisfaction, contentment, delight, and what suits me), to a high and lofty calling. A true mystery to learn is what it means in our human existence to experience being one with another person through marriage. It raises the bar for what we should want and seek after. If God says that our marriages are important because they represent far more than just a husband and wife going through life together, it makes me yearn to understand more of this mystery of oneness. I want to allow my marriage to teach me deep truths that are part of God’s eternal plan and purpose for marriage. I don’t want to let my marriage be less than that. I don’t want to settle.
So, what does this look like? Well, I wish I knew the answer :), but I only know in part. I am on this journey also and I learn a little more each day. Here are a few nuggets I have learned.
Set my mind to the truth that my marriage has eternal value
See my husband as my number one ministry
Intentionally look for ways to connect in oneness (physically, emotional, and spiritually)
Am I loving my husband in a way, that gives him a taste of what the perfect love of His Father looks and feels like
This thing called marriage is a mystery, let’s work to unravel more and more of it!
~Carla
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