I recently put forth the question to a group of Young Adult Professionals: “Do you have any questions about marriage?” They responded with some wonderful questions … which I’m really looking forward to exploring in the next few blog posts.
The question I would like to start with is: “What surprised you most about marriage?”
I’ve never actually thought about this before. As I’ve pondered this question, what stood out to me as being most surprising was completely different than what stood out to hubby as most surprising.
I would like to answer this question in two different blog posts. Today I’ll share hubby’s response about what was most surprising for him. And tomorrow I’ll share what was most surprising for me.
For hubby, he was most surprised by the heavy weight of responsibility which came to rest on him on our wedding day. It was an intense heavy weight of responsibility such as he had never experienced before!
I did not experience this at all. For me, I knew I was adored and loved by my hubby. I knew he would provide for me, protect me, and care for me … just as my God provided, protected, and cared for me. I was at complete rest in hubby’s care for me. And as such, I was oblivious to the heavy weight of responsibility which had just been placed by God on my hubby.
Marriage is deeply spiritual.
God is the creator of marriage. And as such, God established the laws which govern marriage. God, as Creator, designated the man to be the head in marriage. (Ephesians 5:23) Therefore, the man bears the weight of responsibility to provide for, protect, and care for his wife (and subsequently his family).
This weight of responsibility is placed on the husband by God. God is holding the man accountable! The man will answer to God!
Personally, I experienced this heavy weight of responsibility when my first child was born. When I saw my brand-new baby for the very first time, immediately an intense heavy weight of responsibility overwhelmed me! This little life, I was now responsible for! I was responsible to make sure this little life was protected and cared for. And I was accountable to God!
Life is sacred! God is serious about how we care for one another!
Parenting is sacred! God is serious about how we care for our children!
And above all … marriage is sacred! God is serious about how a man cares for his wife! God is serious about how a man protects his wife! Because marriage is a picture of how God cares for those who love Him.
Today, many women feel offended and insulted that a man would be given headship in marriage. The prevailing thought among women today is: “I don’t need a man to protect me! I don’t need a man to take care of me! I’m strong and independent!”
God is the creator of marriage. And as such, God established the laws which govern marriage. Society nowadays is offended by this! Society fights against this! But ignoring God’s established laws of creation (physical or spiritual) is similar to ignoring gravity. You can be offended by the law of gravity … you can say it doesn’t exist … and you can defy it by jumping off a cliff!
But that doesn’t change the fact that God’s laws of creation are firmly in place … and defying them will only result in harmful consequences.
Marriage is spiritual! And this means that when a wedding happens … and a man and woman pledge to be man and wife … they are making a binding spiritual covenant with God. And as such, God in turn, places a heavy weight of responsibility on the shoulders of the man.
