Marriage is a priceless gift from God, who wants us to experience the deep pleasure of a loving, fruitful, and committed relationship. He created marriage as a delightful picture of how Christ loves His church and people.

The worldly purpose of marriage is to complete ourselves, fulfill ourselves or make us happy. However, that’s not the actual purpose. God gave us marriage to love, encourage, and mold our spouse into the person God called them to be. If you marry, expecting your spouse to fulfill you entirely, you’ll be disappointed. Perhaps that’s why the divorce rate is through the roof. People get married, and the person they pledged themselves to isn’t who they thought they were; they aren’t fulfilled or happy, so they choose to walk away. This thought must be devastating to God, who says marriage is for much more. Here are some characteristics of a godly and fruitful marriage.

Devotion.

Romans 12:10 tells us that we should be devoted to each other in love and honor each other before ourselves. A Godly marriage is two people who are dedicated solely to one another. They’ll take marriage as a serious commitment and refuse to look for attention and love from anyone besides their spouse.

Overflowing with love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 gives the perfect description of love. Love is kind, patient, and doesn’t boast or envy. It doesn’t record your wrongdoings and doesn’t delight in evil. Instead, it rejoices in the truth. Love always perseveres, protects, trusts and hopes. It’s difficult to show patience when your spouse is getting on your nerves, just like it’s hard to be selfless and not hold grudges. Still, the marriage will flourish when we surrender our reactions and switch them out for a kind and loving disposition. You can live in your home peacefully, knowing that your spouse won’t hold your wrongs against you and they aren’t worried about their interest. You’re sharing life with a person you can trust.

Love and submission.

In modern culture, a woman submitting to a man doesn’t mesh with current feminist views that say women should be equal to men and shouldn’t give in to anyone. Still, in the kingdom of Jesus, God created women and men to have a space in the marriage relationship. When a woman gives in to her husband, who is the head of the home, they imitate the church and Christ. Ephesians 5:22-23 says that wives should submit to their husbands as you would the Lord. The idea of submission doesn’t mean the woman should be okay with being controlled, pushed around, or abused. Instead, God wants a woman to respect her husband. In return, He commands the husband to love his wife.

There’s a cruel cycle that happens when people abuse love and respect. When a woman feels unloved, she might start disrespecting her husband. On the other hand, when a man feels disrespected, he may deny loving his wife. God made this facet of marriage to keep the peace in marriage, help it run smoothly, and help each person feel secure. There’s nothing worse than feeling insecure in your relationship, especially your marriage.

Friendship.

Praying together as husband and wife is one of the most beautiful things you can do as a couple. Praying together brings a couple closer together while aligning them with God’s plan for their lives. It also grows their personal relationship with God. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says that two are better than one because they have a favorable return for their work. If either falls, the other can help them up. Still, some people fail and don’t have anyone to help them back up again. Also, if two people lay down, they’ll keep each other warm, but how can one stay warm by themselves? One may be overpowered, but two can fight together. You can’t easily break a cord of three. In this case, the thread of three is the wife, husband, and God.

Commitment.

This idea may sound obvious, but unwavering commitment is vital to prospering your marriage. This means avoiding temptations to being unfaithful, whether it’s pursuing a friendship with another man or woman, a physical connection with someone else, or sharing your secrets with another person outside of your marriage. When the union strives to live in a manner that pleases God, there’ll be no need to pursue gratification, attention, or pleasure for anyone besides your spouse. It would be best to protect your marriage from temptation by coming together as one, praying together, and getting rid of anything in your lives that the enemy might use to tear you apart.

Living as one.

Marriage is a contradiction as it’s two people coming together as a unit, two different hearts, souls, and minds; however, they are seen as one under the dedication of a Godly union. Having this perspective of your marriage will give it more purpose and depth. When you make decisions based on the betterment of the marriage as an entity and God’s direction, you’ll start aligning with God’s purpose for your marriage and life. Genesis 2:18-24 reminds us that God made a woman from a man. When the two come together in marriage, the man leaves his parents to bond with his wife and become one flesh.

Serving God together.

A couple plugged into their local church to serve as a unit shines bright like a diamond for Jesus. Worshipping God by yourselves or at church benefits your marriage’s health. Giving your time, resources, and yourselves gives the marriage a solid foundation of selfless living. This selfless living will only serve to radiate Christ’s love to others.

Marriage is hard work, but the good news is that you’re not doing it alone. Marriage is a beautiful gift from God. Jesus’ power can help you get through it no matter how hard it gets. When you’re trying to live in a fruitful and Godly marriage, you may face challenges as you’re attempting to change your reactions, words, and yourself. Still, God can work through all of that. It would be best to commit to asking the Lord to show you where you should change things about yourself to improve your marriage instead of only asking Him to change your spouse.