Marriage on the Edge Sample

The Edge

Often, when I officiate a wedding ceremony I use today’s verses. They are great verses for starting a marriage. “So God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.”

God very clearly created man and woman each in His image. When compared with the rest of creation, we are different. We have a soul, a spirit. This spiritual nature allows us to commune with God. It allows us to think and feel. It allows us to love and to love deeply. It gives us a glimpse into God’s design for us and our relationships.

Genesis 2 gives this picture of the first marriage: “Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.” When I teach a marriage preparation course, I show this verse and then ask, “What do the words ‘naked and unashamed’ mean to you as you enter marriage?” I get words like: safe, vulnerable, trust, and secure. That is a picture of what God wants for us in our marriages. It is what we all want our marriages to be like. It is His plan for marriage.

At one point, those were your hopes and dreams for marriage. Maybe your marriage never got there or maybe you were there and somehow it slipped away. Now you think things may not work out and you are faced with a verse that has taken on new meaning for you: “Let no one split apart what God has joined together.”

If your marriage is not where you want it to be, you are not alone. You are not the only couple seeking answers. The past years have taken a toll on many marriages. Some of you are barely holding on; some are separated and deciding which direction to go; some see red flags all over their marriage and know it is time to address them.

You may have toxic fighting cycles and broken trust. The friendship you once had may now be lost and your connection with each other nonexistent. Your main feelings for each other may often be hatred. Some of you have really tried to resolve conflict only to end up screaming at each other. You may have a million unresolved issues. The idea of serving and respecting each other seems like a foreign language that neither of you speak.

What you desired in a marriage and what you have today are as different as night and day. Yet, there is hope. Jeremiah boldly proclaims this truth, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” I have seen God literally work miracles in marriages that were on life support. He can do the same for yours and lead you into a healthy, thriving marriage.

This plan does not have all the answers but it is a great place to start. Over the next six days, we will talk about six topics that can help you take your marriage from the edge to solid ground.