MARRIAGE The making of a covenant between a man and a woman continues to be under attack.  The whole world seems not to get the point that there is value to making a determined commitment.  A determined commitment gives strength and stability to those who see the value of such determination.  Two imperfect people marry, and they continue to be imperfect; however, they are to be convicted to do their best for their mate for life.  That is called love. Marriage has been under attack for centuries by the heterosexuals.  Many run from the idea of commitment.  Their rationalization is very self-centered and goes something like this...  “In case things don’t work out then no one gets hurt.”  What a big fat lie that is!  They both get hurt, and maybe a child gets hurt as well.  With a lack of commitment, they both build their physical relationship upon a banana peel.  Duh???  Do you think it will last?   Wishful thinking and fairytales are for the immature.  A solid, stable, secure relationship is for adults.  Christian adults must make these things clear to their children.  This is primarily the parents’ responsibility as they role model exactly what God wants for all those who make a marriage commitment.  Christians at church should teach these things but the example of success often speaks louder in the ears of our youth than some simple doctrinal truths.  By their fruits they are both observed and known whether they are genuine or not. The idea of marriage is God’s idea.  God created man, and God created that which made man whole, a womb-man (Gen. 2:21-25).  There is to be found a mutual satisfaction or completeness in marriage.  He is to be the living complement of his wife, and his wife is to be the living complement of him.  This includes the idea that each have the ministry (if you want to call it that) of fulfilling or satisfying all the needs of the other. Now obviously there is no command that one has to marry.  There are some benefits to remaining single.  The potential problem for singles is the self-discipline God requires of everyone regarding the subject of human sexuality.  Most of us are wired such that we don’t want to live a life of celibacy. God wants a man and a woman to make a commitment; and when they do, God blesses all their intimate relationships.  “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Heb. 13:4). To help those men and women who have made the marriage commitment to each other, God spells out some things rather clearly regarding the subject of divorce.  When we are young and in love, we often do not think about the difficulties that lie ahead.  God does!  God wants to give security and stability to marriages so He lets us know that there really is no escape clause to marriage if we will just behave ourselves and maintain our pure relationship exclusively with one another.  Keep your priorities right.  Keep your word you gave to your mate before God and friends in times past.  Christ purposefully makes divorce sound bad and difficult.  “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female and said, for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?  So then, they are no longer two but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.  They said to Him, Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?  He said to them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so” (Matt. 19:4-8).  Those in the generation of Moses wanted to be able to end a marriage for whatever reason they pleased.  God tolerated them and permitted this in times past.  Now Jesus reminds us that this was never the original plan.  Rebellious, hard, cold, and calloused hearts wanted their way.  God was patient with them.  Now Jesus will magnify the original plan.  NO DIVORCE!  One extreme exception for the protection of the innocent person has to do with the subject of sexual immorality.  “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except (one only exception) for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery” (Matt. 19:9).   These words are from Jesus, our Lord, and obviously are not to be trifled with.   All of us need to be like God and HATE DIVORCE.  “For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence, Says the LORD of hosts.  Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously” (Malachi 2:16).  This determination to make it work is given to us by our God.  Often it is not easy, but the faithful must not forget that God is with us and promises to help us.  God wants husbands to be winners in marriage, and God wants wives to be winners in marriage.  This is easier for our God to accomplish if both husband and wife are faithful Christians.  Christians need to listen to God and let God be the ultimate winner in all the stresses and strains that we may experience in our marriages.   In our marriages as husbands and wives, we need to know our place.  Again, God tells us that there are not two equal heads of the family but that the husband is to accept that charge.  That husband has been blessed by God with the gift of his bride, his number one counselor on earth.  He must learn to listen and learn from the counsel offered to him as he makes decisions that will bless his family.