Marriage is a popular topic spoken of within Christian circles as well as those who are not believers. Sadly, some Christians and nonbelievers fail to see the importance of marriage.
Marriage is a beautiful thing God has created, yet many people overlook why it is still important in our lives today.
Different camps believe in various views surrounding marriage, such as many people believe marriage is not important; whereas others believe marriage is the most important thing.
These are two extremes and there needs to be balance. We can meet somewhere in the middle–somewhere where marriage is seen as important, but not the most important thing in your life. You can still be a faithful follower of Christ without being married.
Many people believe you cannot be a mature follower of Christ unless you are married, but this is not true. Anybody can be a follower of Christ, whether they are married or not. To place legalism into the matter is not beneficial.
It is important to note that whether you get married or not, both are seen as good in the eyes of God. However, marriage can be difficult and if you ask any married couple, they can tell you it is not a walk in the park.
Despite marriage not being a walk in the park, it is a major blessing to a believer's life. To find someone in this world who loves you as Jesus loves the church is a remarkable thing. It is something that should not be passed on if one is given the chance.
If you have a positive view of marriage or not, it is worth doing a deep dive into the Bible to see what God says on the matter. From a biblical standpoint, marriage is still important even in the modern 21st century.
To overlook the importance and beauty of marriage is to overlook one of God's masterpiece works of creation. God created marriage in the Bible, which means it is good.
We should never declare something God created as bad or sinful. Here are five reasons why marriage is still important.
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1. It Mirrors the Relationship Between Christ and the Church
One reason why marriage is still important is because it mirrors the relationship between Christ and the church. God established marriage to be a holy covenant before Him. It is a lasting covenant that should never be broken.
Only in death is the covenant broken before the eyes of God. This is because the covenant of marriage is supposed to reflect the relationship between Christ and the church to the lost world. Nothing else in all creation can reflect the love of Christ in a better way.
Just as Jesus loves and cares for the church, so is the husband to love and care for his wife. In the same way, the wife must respect her husband and love him. In all of this, we see the importance of mutual love and respect.
Jesus loves the church, which means that the husband should never act in a derogatory manner towards his wife. She is his wife, and he must be kind, caring, and loving toward her. Just as Jesus has never harmed the church in any way, neither should the husband harm his wife.
Similarly, wives are to respect their husbands and not treat them poorly either. Sadly, even in the modern day, there are abusive relationships and marriages. Men can be abused just as much as women are abused.
From a biblical viewpoint, we need to acknowledge this and do what we can to help bring awareness to this issue.
Marriage is supposed to reflect Jesus and His love for believers to the lost world. It is not supposed to reflect an abusive relationship or abusive marriage because this gives a bad testimony of the Lord.
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2. It Is a Blessing from God
Marriage is a blessing from the Lord is a second reason why marriage is still important. The Bible tells us that he who finds a wife finds what is good (Proverbs 18:22).
This comes from the Book of Proverbs, which is an old book; however, the proverbs written in it are still applicable today, including this one.
It is a beautiful illustration of how marriage is a blessing from the Lord. As believers, we do not need to overlook this crucial piece of information.
Sadly, many people portray marriage in a negative light, but this is not right. Marriage should not be treated as something bad or shameful. Rather, marriage is a blessing and something that should be treasured.
Not all people will get married during their lifetime, therefore, those who are or will need to recognize this blessing in their life. My dad used to have a friend, who decided against marriage at a young age.
The month prior to his passing, he was telling my dad how much he regretted not getting married because his life turned out to be extremely lonely.
My dad's friend had lived by himself for over 40 years, and it took its toll on him. God did not create us to be alone. He created us to have a partner and to be with someone.
While many people have different views surrounding this point, we have to be aware that being alone does cause us to feel depressed. Nobody truly wants to be alone for their entire life because life alone is a very lonely life.
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3. It Is Seen as Beautiful Before the Eyes of God
A third reason why marriage is still important is because it is seen as beautiful before the eyes of God. Marriage was created by God, and it was seen as beautiful before the eyes of the Lord. The first ever marriage was between Adam and Eve.
Even though Adam and Eve fell, God still blessed them and allowed their marriage as well as their family lineage to continue on. Through Adam and Eve, the entire human race came into being and this would not have happened unless marriage had been created by God.
God views marriage as beautiful and we should as well. This alone makes marriage important because it is important to God. Even if you might have a different view on marriage, you can recognize how much of an emphasis God places on marriage.
He hates divorce and desires for every relationship to be built upon Him. In truth, a relationship can only withstand time and bring God glory if it is built upon Him. As we can see, God created marriage, and this makes it very important to us in the modern day.
Even though the Bible was written a long time ago, its teachings are not irrelevant. Rather, they are very relevant and helpful to our lives. Through marriage, we see the birth of children, which is also a gift from the Lord. It is God's will that marriage continues on until the end when He makes everything new.
While it is true that marriage will not last for eternity, it does play an important role at the present time. As believers, we don't need to overlook the importance of marriage in the modern day just as God has never overlooked the importance of marriage from the time, He created it.
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4. It Brings Happiness and Joy into the Believer's Life
Marriage brings happiness and joy into the believer's life is a fourth reason why marriage is still important. Although I have never been married, I can see the happiness and joy in the eyes of my friends who are married.
It is a happiness and joy I am not familiar with. I talked with one of my friends about the new joy she had in her life after she was married, and she said it felt as though she was wearing a very warm coat.
She felt protected, comforted, and loved. At times, when she was away from her husband for any sort of time, she said it felt strange or even wrong to be away from him for so long.
The joy and happiness my friend experiences are because of the love she has in her life. The love a married couple has is different from the love we have as friends, sisters, or brothers.
Rather, it is a love that can only be experienced between a husband and a wife. As my friend told me, there is great comfort, protection, and love within the realms of the marriage covenant. This alone attests to how important marriage is in the present day.
Even if there might be times of difficulties in marriage, it is still worth it. Marriage is worth it because both individuals love each other with everlasting love. There is nothing quite like it and the only thing that surpasses it is the love God has for each of us.
Therefore, the happiness and joy as well as love that comes from marriage is something that should not be easily overlooked in the present day.
Maybe marriage isn't seen as "hip" or "cool," in the present day, but it is definitely something beautiful and long-lasting in the hearts of a husband and a wife.
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5. Your Spouse Will Become Your Greatest Helper in Your Walk with Christ
A fifth reason marriage is still important is that your spouse will become your greatest helper in your walk with Christ. While this might not be true in all marriages, it is true for many. Your spouse needs to be someone who is encouraging, motivating, and helpful in your walk with Christ.
They should be someone who is your biggest cheerleader when it comes to helping you grow in your walk with Christ. Not only will they be your biggest cheerleader, but they should also help guide you in your walk with Christ.
Husbands need to lead their wives in the Lord and treat them well. Many people have a negative view of the husband's role in a marriage relationship; however, within a biblical marriage, this is what God commands.
The husband is to lead his wife and lead her in accordance with the truth in God's Word. By doing this, husbands will become their wives' greatest helpers in their walk with Christ.
In the same way, wives will be able to help their husbands in their walk with Christ by telling them things they learned in the Bible as well as important lessons the Lord is teaching them.
While many times people think it is cliche for your spouse to be your best friend, there is nothing wrong with this.
By being each other's best friend and cheerleader, you are helping them grow deeper in their relationship with God. In everything, a husband and wife need to be helping each other strive more and more after God.
This is a healthy relationship and a type that believers need to strive for. A healthy relationship will never cause you to become dormant or ineffective in your walk with Christ. Instead, it will cultivate your relationship with the Lord.
Marriage is still important today in many ways. Not only is marriage important today, but it will also continue to remain important until the end.
For further reading:
What Is the Biblical Definition of Marriage?
Why Is a Covenant of Marriage Such a Radical Idea?
What Is God’s Created Design for Marriage?
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Originally published Tuesday, 17 October 2023.