One + One + One = One

There is no other human relationship that reflects the character of God and the love of Christ like marriage. We see early in Scripture that God declared "It is not good for the man to be alone, I will make a suitable helper for him (Genesis 2:18). God's perfect design for marriage is for one man and one woman to be joined together as one flesh. (Genesis 2:24). Take one God plus one man plus one woman, all joined together, and you have one great marriage.

Through the marriage relationship, many of God's greatest attributes come into play. Husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25) and to lovingly lead their families (5:23). Wives are called to submit to their husbands as unto the Lord (5:22, 24) and to respect them (5:33). Since God is love (1 John 4:7-18), our marriages are stronger when we center ourselves on God and his love. A love that is patient and kind, that isn't jealous, boastful, proud, rude, self-seeking or easily angered. A love that keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. A love that always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres and never fails (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

A marriage conference entitled Vision, Love, Hope, Building a Great Marriage featuring guest speaker and author Winston Smith will be held at Ogletown Baptist Church on October 16 and 17. (the link on the right provides more information and registration details). This conference provides an excellent opportunity to celebrate and grow our marriages. As servant leaders in our homes, I urge every married man reading this blog to come out for this event and invest in building the most important personal relationship in your life. See you there!!