ONENESS - SPIRITUAL WARFARE WEAPON for MARRIAGEনমুনা

Introduction:

“God has joined together” (Matthew 19:6),and “the two shall become one” (Genesis 2:24).

The Word of God emphasizes the ‘Oneness’ between husband and wife as fundamental to marriage. Yet, as indicated in the referenced verses, there is no mention of man's endeavor towards achieving this unity. It is the work of God. Therefore, we must allow God to make us One.

Man and woman cannot become one by their self-efforts. Contemporary discourse often revolves around techniques that promote this oneness. But we need skills inspired by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, not by the flesh or human or worldly wisdom.

Leave And Cleave:

For this reason, a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.Genesis 2:24

The above verse is God's declaration when He created Eve and presented her to Adam. It was in response to Adam’s reaction upon seeing Eve for the first time. Adam said, “At last this is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh (Genesis 2:23). God spoke about ‘Becoming One’ as a process.

To ‘become one,’man must leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife. Though Adam did not have parents, God said it as a decree for humanity. This is primarily for the man. If we could only understand and obey this, we would be taking our first step towards ‘becoming one.’

Leavingmeans that the man should prioritize his marital relationship. It also means he no longer depends on his parents for emotional, financial, or other needs. Leaving also means he is no longer bound by their opinions and the occasional instructions the parents may give. He and his wife are free to make decisions, with God having the final say.

Leaving also means that the husband is released from fear of his parents. He is confident that he can lead his family with God's wisdom and his wife's wise counsel.

On the other hand, leaving does not mean abandoning one’s parents when they need them. When both husband and wife are united in this matter, they will bless both their parents. The Word of God exhorts us to honor our parents. We definitely have to honor them, but never at the cost of our primary relationship – marriage.

When the man leaves his parents and cleaves to his wife, the wife is expected to forget her people and her father’s house (Psalm 45:10). When the man takes this step, the woman would become secure and find it easier to leave her parents and cleave to her husband. However, when the woman finds her husband dependent on his parents, she finds it difficult to trust him, so she slowly begins to lean on her parents.

As a man, the husband is called to rise up to take care of his new family God has blessed him with. He must rise up to be the provider, priest, and protector of his wife and children.

Therefore, leaving and cleaving is the first step towards oneness. May God enable every married couple to do this.

Prayer: Dear Father, help us as husband and wife to leave our parents anduniteto enjoy the oneness given by God. Help us to prioritize our marital responsibilities. Make us also a blessing to both our parents. In Jesus’ name. Amen.