You know I’m probably pretty controversial when I say to people that I don’t think Adam and Eve represent marriage from the get-go. At least not in the way that we do marriage and weddings today. There was no pomp and circumstance, no thousands of dollars spent, no bickering over who will be in attendance. If you’ve read the story of how Adam and Eve got their start, you already knew those pieces of information and you’re probably thinking about the verse that says, “for this reason man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh,” (Gen. 2:24, NIV). Have you ever read the next section?
Assuming that the next verse falls in line with this one, consider what it says. “The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame,” (v. 25). In my opinion, this is what marriage is about. It’s not the coming together as partners. It is not the individuals; God could have started this idea of union much later – he is God. He didn’t though. In fact, marriage was always a part of his plan. So much so that many biblical authors draw a likeness between God and his people as one of marriage, and Jesus as the bridegroom of the Church.
Let me go back for just a minute. Today’s blog is about what God says about faith in marriage. If we want to answer that question, we need to look at Gen 2:25. There is more to it than physical nakedness. Oddly enough, lots of people feel comfortable in their birthday suits in public. Think about the truth of that though. There are few people in our life who are privy to the intimate, secretly hidden emotions and scars of our hearts and minds.
When God speaks about the marriage relationship he has with Israel, he is reflecting this need for dependence, honor, faithfulness, and loyalty. When we do life together with a spouse it should fill these places. It is not about a relationship; it is about a lifestyle. That is why Adam and Eve make a good example of marriage. They did life together. Every first that the world ever experienced after creation was done at the hands of these two individuals. Do you think there was ever a moment in which they needed to depend on each other? Loyalty wasn’t an option if they weren’t loyal the world as we know it would be far different, for better or worse. It isn’t really any different in today’s world. It is the differences between us that tend to create the rifts.
God warned us that if we let these differences seep into our marriage relationship that it could bring down great disaster. One specific area of that is in our devotion to him. When you look at these stories consider not just the willingness that these men had to accept other gods, but the outcome of the world around them because of their decision. Solomon married hundreds (literally hundreds) of foreign wives who brought their worship traditions with them, Israel divided and slowly began to crumble under his rule as king. Samson loved a woman who did not understand or respect his vow as a Nazirite, through her hands he was captured and died taking with him an entire group of Phillistine’s ruling men. The prophet Hosea loved Gomer and spent his life chasing after her begging and sometimes buying her return home.
The idea is simple. We are different people. All of us. We may have many traits or interests that are similar in nature to one another, but ultimately, we do not do all things the same as others. There are things that can be altered and adapted to accommodate a relationship. When we make these adjustments there is some change in the original. He likes waffles, you like pancakes. You stop eating pancakes every Saturday morning to accommodate him and now only eat them every other weekend. When you ask yourself if faith matters in relationship consider this truth because whether you want to admit it or not you will have to face the possibility of changing your relationship with God for that of your spouse. The outcome of that choice has serious ramifications in the present and in the future.
When we alter our core self, something becomes off kilter. Remember, we are made up of the physical, mental/emotional, and spiritual. These are rooted at our core. The world around us impacts them. We make the final decision of what will infiltrate our inner selves. If that event, person, or thing creates a negative shift we are left without peace. This has the potential to lead to unhealthy thoughts and actions.
This blog is not intended to make you run out and get a divorce, nor is it meant to break relationships that are not equal in faith traditions. Rather, it is designed to share with you a perspective of what occurs both in the physical and spiritual realm. You are more than capable of drawing conclusions to what happens in the emotional and mental realms. On the other hand, I hope that you will explore the idea of marriage and faith. You can make the changes needed in your current relationships to make faith a first priority and if you’re not already committed to someone you can consider the value of this beforehand.
-blessings
Monica Swank 