Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24 ESV)
The first commandment regarding marriage in the Bible teaches us much about the place our spouse should be in regards to other relationships.
One of the biggest issues that I see happening to marriages is the lack of understanding of what marriage truly means.
It means leaving…
Leaving father and mother…and sisters and brothers…and cousins…
How many times to we hear of the influence of families affecting the marriage? This doesn’t mean that we ignore the family we grew up with—we are still to “honor or father and mother”. But it does mean “leaving”—in the real sense of being independent and making ones own decisions based on what is best for the marriage—not necessarily what is best for others outside the marriage.
It means leaving…
Leaving singleness…
Why do married people still go to the bar? The bar is designed to “meet people” of the opposite sex.. If you are married, you have no business meeting people of the opposite sex for any kind of relationship other than professional.
I know people think this is crazy—but we must leave that single lifestyle behind. If you have a problem with it—ask yourself why is it such a big deal? Is there any good reason to meet another person from the opposite sex that your spouse can not provide?
It means leaving….
Leaving behind all others to make the marriage the priority.