“And The LORD God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.’ Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.

And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:18-24)

The blueprint for marriage is found in Genesis 2:18-24, and God’s blueprint has not changed. It is timeless. This section of Scripture lays the foundation upon which our marriages must be built.

However, if we merely focus on our prospective role, as either a husband or wife, we miss the point completely. Yes, a husband and wife do become one, and that is an ongoing, lifelong process; but the central Person in our marriage is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is that mighty third strand who enables us to be kind and understanding. Furthermore, it is the Spirit of God who checks our tongues from ‘setting the house ablaze’.

Saints, the key to a meaningful marriage is becoming more like Jesus. We need to see our spouse through the eyes of our Lord. We need to have the mind of Christ in all of our dealings with one another. When a husband and wife cultivate a Christ-likeness, their becoming one (challenges notwithstanding) will be much more joyful and fruitful.

Remember, it is the Father’s plan that Christ be reflected in our marriages and families.