{"id":8000,"date":"2023-02-01T17:28:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-01T23:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites-stage.familylife.com\/flministries\/?p=8000"},"modified":"2023-02-01T17:28:00","modified_gmt":"2023-02-01T23:28:00","slug":"why-we-need-marriage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/articles\/topics\/marriage\/staying-married\/gods-plan-for-marriage\/why-we-need-marriage\/","title":{"rendered":"Why We Need Marriage"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

One of the most seductive lies in any era is the belief that we no longer need the old beliefs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It usually sounds something like this: \u201cSurely our world is now so modern and so sophisticated that we\u2019ve transcended the need for biblical truth. That\u2019s old-fashioned. We need new, progressive values and institutions for our contemporary world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so, in our modern culture, the institution of marriage is under siege. It\u2019s not just that so many people are unable to keep a marriage going for more than a few years. An increasing number are also wondering if there\u2019s anything special about marriage. Many, especially cohabiting couples, don\u2019t see the need for marriage. Some say it\u2019s time to replace marriage with something different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A pair of Newsweek<\/em> writers recently declared that the concept of a couple marrying for a lifetime is outdated: \u201cWith our life expectancy in the high 70s,\u201d they wrote, \u201cthe idea that we\u2019re meant to be together forever is less realistic. \u2026 Healthy partnerships are possible, for sure\u2014but the permanence of marriage seems na\u00efve, almost arrogant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I asked Marriage Memo<\/em> readers whether they agreed with statements that marriage is a \u201cdying institution,\u201d<\/a> a number made a great point: God is the one who created the institution of marriage, and He has the final word on whether it will die.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So it is helpful, in an age when so many question the need for marriage, to remind ourselves why this was the first institution God created. Marriage is at the center of God\u2019s purpose for mankind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As couples learn at our Weekend to Remember\u00ae getaways, one of God\u2019s purposes for marriage is to mutually complete one another, and to experience companionship<\/strong>. The Bible speaks to this purpose in the book of Genesis, when God created man and then said, \u201cIt is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him\u201d (Genesis 2:18).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marriage is God\u2019s provision to meet our deep longing for a close and intimate relationship. He puts a man and woman together and uses their respective strengths and weaknesses to make them stronger as a team. It is in marriage that God calls people to put aside their selfishness, commit themselves to another person unconditionally, and assume responsibility for others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another purpose for marriage is to multiply a godly legacy<\/strong>. Genesis 1:28 tells us that God blessed man and woman and said to them, \u201cBe fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.\u201d Other Scriptures such as Deuteronomy 6:4-9 emphasize that the home is a crucial environment for teaching children the Word of God and modeling a lifestyle of love for God and commitment to Him. The best place for children to understand concepts like gender roles, unconditional love, and interdependence is in a family where both parents are present and involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some would argue that the first two objectives I\u2019ve mentioned could be fulfilled outside the bond of matrimony. But God\u2019s third purpose for marriage\u2014to mirror His image to the world<\/strong>\u2014reveals just how significant this institution is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genesis 1:27 says, \u201cSo God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.\u201d He created humanity to reflect His image. The oneness a man and woman experience in marriage reflects the character and unity of God (Matthew 19:4-6). And Ephesians 5:22-33 tell us that the love and commitment between a husband and wife is a picture of the love and commitment between Christ and His followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many years I\u2019ve had trouble grasping this final purpose, because it\u2019s a bit mysterious. But the longer I\u2019m married the more clearly I\u2019ve understood it. God gave me my wife\u2014a woman whose love and commitment I trust without question\u2014to give me a glimpse of His love for me. And, just as important, by looking at our marriage, other people can see a model of that same love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One Marriage Memo<\/em> reader spoke of this purpose for marriage in a comment on actress Cameron Diaz\u2019s belief that relationships work best when they last no longer than five years. \u201cGod did not send His Son so that we may spend five years with Him,\u201d the reader wrote. \u201cHe sent His son so that whoever believes in Him shall have everlasting<\/em> life. We get to spend eternity with the Father.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, \u201cGod did not create marriage to be given up whenever it gets tough. He created it so that we can have our companion to go through life\u2019s journey together, until death do us part.\u201d A solid, lasting marriage is a picture of God\u2019s lasting commitment to us.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since marriage is that important to God, it should be that important to us. He created it for His glory and for our good. We cannot afford to let it continue to decline in our culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Copyright \u00a9 2011 by FamilyLife.  All rights reserved.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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