Love Dare Day 31

~~Day 31~ Love and marriage~~

A man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. —Genesis 2: 24

This verse is God’s original blueprint for marriage. His specific “one man + one woman = one” design was established at creation (Genesis 2: 24), verified by Jesus (Mark 10: 6– 9), and clarified by the apostle Paul (Ephesians 5: 31).

“Leaving” means that you are breaking a natural tie. Your parents now step into the role of counselors to be respected.

“Cleaving” carries the idea of catching someone by pursuit, clinging to them as your new help and support .

However, it’s not unusual for couples— even Christian couples— to think they know better than God does and ignore His purpose for their union or their roles as He designed. Applying Genesis 2: 24 seems too foreign or difficult for them. So they settle for worldly thinking and neglect the “leaving and cleaving” God intended. They may sacrifice the oneness and strength of the most ultimate relationship of their lives to please others who are not a part of them. They don’t realize that the more unified their marriage, the more fulfilled and stronger they will be to handle every other role and responsibility in their lives.

The husband and wife must be as one. A united front. United in decision making. United in their priorities. United in their affections.

So leave. And cleave. And dare to walk as one.

~~TODAY'S DARE~~

Is there a “leaving” issue with your parents or someone else you haven’t been brave enough to conquer yet? Confess it to your spouse today, and resolve to make it right. The oneness of your marriage is dependent upon it. Follow this with a commitment to your spouse and to God to make your marriage the top priority over every other human relationship.

 Has this been a hard thing for you to deal with?

How has it affected your relationship?

If the worse offender in this area is your spouse (with your in-laws), how can you lovingly move this toward a better situation?