Hold on to GodSample

One flesh

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

This is the essence of biblical marriage: leave, cleave, and become one flesh.

First, leave. If a couple does not adequately separate themselves from their parents, then the marriage is torpedoed from the start. Honor your parents, love your parents, but look to each other for primary support and direction. You are a new family; live like it. Beware of undue dependence on your parents.

Second, cleave. The idea behind this term is permanence. God’s ideal is marriage for life, “till death do us part.” At the beginning of your marriage, decide that divorce is not an option. If marriage is to be permanent, if you know that you are sticking together no matter what happens, it will make all the difference in how you tackle problems as a couple.

Third, become one flesh. One flesh means oneness at every level: emotionally, spiritually, socially, intellectually, and physically. The concept behind the phrase “one flesh” is intimacy, a sense of closeness. You are soul mates, lovers, and best friends. You live life together. You pursue a shared life. You are alert to any signs of creeping separation. And over time, despite many challenges and hardships, you become close, so close that you can scarcely believe it.

This is God’s dream for every marriage: a one-flesh marriage. This is the beauty and glory of marriage as God intended it. Make God’s dream yours and pursue it with all your heart.