Laws That Hold a Marriage Together (Part One)
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24 (NKJV)
Great marriages are not great because they avoid conflict. They are great because they know how to resolve it. God never promised a marriage without disagreement. He promised a design that works when you follow it. In Genesis 2, God gives you foundational laws for marriage, not suggestions, but principles that sustain covenant over time.
The first is the law of priority. God says a man must leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife. Leaving speaks of priority. Marriage must become your highest human relationship. You are still called to honor your parents, but your spouse comes first. No other voice, responsibility, or relationship can outrank that covenant. Not your job. Not your children. Not your hobbies. Priority means your spouse knows without question that they are number one.
This kind of priority includes what Scripture calls a godly jealousy. Just as God desires exclusive worship, marriage requires exclusive devotion. Priority is proven through time and energy. It is not enough to be physically present while emotionally absent. You demonstrate priority when you rearrange your schedule, pause your preferences, and choose presence over convenience. Love must be protected, even from good things.
The second law is the law of pursuit. God says you must cleave, which means to hold tightly and not let go. Marriage requires continual effort. You once worked hard to win that heart. You were thoughtful, intentional, and expressive. The law of pursuit says you never stop doing that work. Love operates by what can be called the manna principle. In Scripture, manna could not be stored. It had to be gathered fresh every day. Love works the same way. Yesterday’s affection does not feed today’s heart. You cannot live on last year’s romance or last month’s kindness. Love must be expressed daily, intentionally, and presently.
Pursuit means you keep chasing your spouse’s heart. You speak love, show care, and choose thoughtfulness again and again. Love is not something you stockpile. It is something you serve fresh every day. When you honor priority and practice pursuit, you build a marriage that grows instead of decays. These laws are not burdens. They are gifts. When you live them, love stays alive.
Prayer: Lord, teach me to honor Your design for marriage. Help me place my spouse first and guard that priority with intention. Show me how to pursue love daily with humility and faithfulness. Renew my heart so I love with fresh devotion, not stored up affection. Strengthen my marriage as I walk in Your wisdom. Amen.
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