The two will become one

Marriage. It's meant to be a journey for life. God never intended it to be disposable, convenient, or uncommitted.

Matthew 19:4-6 says, "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

"Let not man separate." How about wife?

Every time we complain about our spouse (I write, of course, from the wife's point of view here), we break down our own marriage. Not the boss, not his friends, not his mother... us. Ouch!

God designed marriage as a union, "the two will become one flesh." His perfect plan. All too often, we kill it, and we don't even realize it. Think about this:

• Hubby works late, either to earn extra money for the family or to finish up so he doesn't have to bring work home. Do you call a friend and "vent" about the dried out dinner in the oven? Or complain about how he's never around to help with the kids?
• You haven't gone out on a date in three months. You tell a friend how unromantic he is or that you wish your husband did what hers does instead of communicating to your spouse how much you would love to go out with him.
• He leaves his dirty clothes all over the floor in the bathroom. You air that dirty laundry at your women's group... You know how it goes, "My husband...." "Yeah, well I can top that. Can you believe that my husband..."

Yes, I know. We could make a similar list for the guys. (Guy readers, make your own list! Thanks.)

Proverbs 25:24 (Amplified) says, "It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop than to share a house with a disagreeing, quarrelsome, and scolding woman." How about this Valentine's Day, we give our husbands what they most need, a loving, committed, supportive wife.

Dear God, Thank you for creating marriage. Thank you for bringing Rob and me together almost 20 years ago, giving me a nurturing, gentle, kind, loving husband. I am abundantly blessed. Please forgive me for those times when I focus on what he doesn't do instead of all the incredible things he does for me and our family. Bless him today. Help all of us, God, remember why we married in the first place. Help us rediscover the beautiful love You have given. In Your Son's name I pray. Amen

* If you would like to read more about honoring leadership - that includes the husband - please read this article: Check your heart: The small demonstrations of disloyalty at my friend's blog.