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Moments Together for Couples 1/12



by Dennis and Barbara Rainey

January 12

Motives for Marriage

Genesis 2:18
It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.

Why did you get married? For sex? Romance? Companionship? Security? To have children?

There are good reasons for marriage, and there are childish ones. Years ago I read an article in McCall's magazine that included some humorous comments from children:

Gwen, age nine: "When I get married I want to marry someone who is tall and handsome and rich and hates spinach as much as me."

Arnold, age six: "I want to get married, but not right away yet because I can't cross the street by myself yet."

Steve, age 10: "I want to marry somebody just like my mother except I hope she don't make me clean up my room."

Bobby, age nine: "I don't have to marry someone who is rich, just someone who gets a bigger allowance than me."

Raymond, age nine: "First she has to like pizza, then she has to like cheesecake, after that she has to like fudge candy, then I know our marriage will last forever."

We chuckle at these childish impressions, yet I have counseled couples whose purposes for getting married were not much more profound. Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 B.C.- A.D. 65) the Roman philosopher, wrote, "You must know for which harbor you are headed if you are to catch the right wind to take you there."

The book of Genesis describes how, after creating Adam, God realized it was not good for him to be alone. So He gave him a mate.

Since God created marriage, it makes sense that He has a purpose for it. God's blueprint for marriage is the plan to follow, the harbor to which we want to head. In the next few devotions I will look more closely at His plan for marriage.

Prayer:

That God will spare you and your family from drifting aimlessly through life, and that He will give your family His purpose, plan and direction.
Discuss: Why did you marry? What did you hope to get out of marriage?
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