“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.” Genesis 1:27
“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor.” Ecclesiastes 4:9
Isn’t it interesting how God has made males and females so different? What is so wonderful about this is how God has made us to complement each other. In some ways we are so much alike and in others so different (sometimes really different!)
Since a marriage is between two imperfect people, however, there are times when both the differences and the similarities can feel more like a frustration, and less like a gift. Like cultivating a garden, adjusting to marriage can be hard work. It takes diligence to understand and appreciate someone who is very different than you, and to learn to communicate with someone who has different thought patterns. It takes effort to be enthusiastic about the different things your husband cares about. (But who knows, when you support him you might end up being genuinely enthusiastic also!) But two are better than one, and you will have a good reward for your labor (Ecc. 4:9).
These adjustments can be a challenge, but I like to think of Romans 8:29: “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son.” This is God’s plan for us. That process includes the smoothing off of our rough edges, which perhaps happens in marriage more than in any other relationship. As that happens, we often find out how selfish and willful we are, leading us to greater dependence on the Lord.
May it be our prayer today that the Lord would help us to yield to His will and learn what He has for us. Let us pray that together we might truly be one in and for Him, and that we might have His blessing in our lives and in our home.