This is week two in the CMBA blogging challenge for October. Our topic for this week is Words of Wisdom from the Bible you value for your marriage.

Wow–Where do I begin. Everything we have built our marriage upon comes from the wisdom found in the Bible. It is our source. It is our foundation. It is THE Word of God, and what He declares about marriage matters more than any other advice one could receive, at any time or anywhere!

So I suppose I’ll narrow it down to the verses that have meant the most to us during different seasons of our 35 years together.

First year – “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” – Genesis 2:24-25 ESV

When we first got married, we held fast to the idea of leaving and cleaving. I was the youngest in my family, while Tom had lived on his own for several years, so it was hardest on me. I’m grateful that Tom was so determined to help us establish our family right off the bat.  It made this verse front and center in our lives.

Third year – “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” – James 5:16 ESV

This was the year where we really got to know one another without any pretenses. It was one of our most difficult years, yet as confession was made, we discovered the power of God’s forgiveness and His ability to unite us in the deepest places of the heart. Our marriage was firmly planted during this hard year.

Eighteenth year – “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” – James 4:6

This was the year when I realized how proud I was and how humble Tom was. It was a landmark year in our relationship and one where I learned the following verse, first hand:

“However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” – Ephesians 5:33

Scripture is full of wisdom to help us know how to live in any and all situations. But when it comes to marriage it is quite clear. We are commanded…

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” – Deut. 6:5

This is to be our highest priority because our relationship with Christ is the only one that never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Our relationship with our spouse will change, so we must cling first to Christ and then to our spouse. Our spouse can never fill the space reserved for Christ alone.

Keeping our relationship in balance with our relationship with Christ is the best way to help it grow through the years. God will be faithful to see that we are able to glorify Him in and through all the changes.

Now for my life verse. It is the one I return to again and again, and I pray it will encourage you in your walk with the Lord and in your marriage…

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” – 1 Peter 1:6-9

Our marriage is to be a reflection of Christ’s union with the church. If we get our relationship with Him right, our marriage will benefit. We pray these verses will impact your relationship for lasting good as they have ours.

Blessings to you and your spouse.