Many people would not regard the Bible as a love story. In reality, it is the greatest love story ever written. It is a story of a loving God and His care for His creations, His children. It is a story of God’s Son laying His life down for the salvation of all men. Within the pages of the Bible, we also find intriguing and inspiring love stories between men and women. Life scenarios to fill the most engaging romance novel only God could author.
God places utmost importance on this relationship between man and woman from the beginning. He created Eve to be with Adam. Genesis 2:18 reads “it is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”[i] One example of the depth and strength of a relationship between man, woman, and God could be explained by the woven cord “not easily broken” as related in Ecclesiastes 4:12.[ii] There is strength in two becoming one.
When a man and woman bring true love to marriage there is kindness and not envy. There is honor for another and not self-seeking. There is a delight in truth rather than deception in lies. True love never fails.[iii]
Love is profoundly patient in the story of Jacob’s love for Rachel. Jacob worked for Rachel for seven years, only to find that he was tricked into marrying her sister. He then worked an additional seven years to marry his true love, Rachel.[iv] Faced with these same roadblocks today, how many would stay the course? An alarming 41% of first marriages in America end in divorce, the average number of years married being around 8.[v] Subsequent marriages are at an even higher risk for divorce.
The act of cherishing another person parallels the love of God for us. Learning to care for someone else without hesitation to put yourself in the background or even risk your life can only be of God. Man, by nature, is selfish. There is no other relationship as intimate and giving and selfless as marriage between a man and a woman. God made them to be partners and to help one another in a way that only a married couple can.
Christians can exemplify the love of God for man by creating strong marriages. In a Focus on the Family article, the author names the relationship of marriage as “other-centered” rather than “me-centered”. He reminds married couples to remember four things when marriage gets tough:
o God created marriage as a loyal partnership between one man and one woman.
o Marriage is the firmest foundation for building a family.
o God designed sexual expression to help married couples build intimacy.
o Marriage mirrors God’s covenant relationship with His people.[vi]
With so many young people considering not to marry, it is important for Christians to continue revealing the benefits of marriage. When you decide to choose the course of “other-centered” it may take 7 years of work and 7 more after that and even 7 more after that because “me-centered”will continue to fight for existence. Marriage love is worth it. This Valentine’s Day remember your loved one and protect and honor their heart.
Foundations of Truth hereby waives all claim of copyright (economic and moral) in this work and immediately places it in the public domain; it may be used, published, edited, and distributed in any manner whatsoever without any attribution or notice to Foundations of Truth.
[i]https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis+2%3A18&version=NIV
[ii]https://biblia.com/bible/niv/ecclesiastes/4/12
[iii]https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2013&version=NIV
[iv]https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/bible-stories-about-love-5-encouraging-scripture-summaries/
[v] https://www.goldbergjones-or.com/divorce/interesting-divorce-statistics/#:~:text=The%20average%20length%20of%20a,divorce%2C%20the%20timeline%
[vi]https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/bible-stories-about-love-5-encouraging-scripture-summaries/
