02 Marriage Devotional: Marriage is designed by God with intentionality

Show notes

About This Episode In the early years of our marriage we kept asking why it didn't look like what God said it would. In week two of our devotional series through Husband After God and Wife After God, we look at marriage as God's intentional design rather than a human invention. The Bible opens with marriage, and only three to five percent of the animal kingdom is monogamous. Like Lego pieces that come with a manual, marriage works best when we follow the Designer's instructions. We talk about how husbands and wives are equal in value but different in need, why obedience to God is not contingent on your spouse's choices, and how a clunky clacker toy compares to a marriage that moves smoothly. We also warn against being a stumbling block to your spouse and encourage you to run to the Holy Spirit when things get heated.

About Aaron & Jennifer Smith Aaron and Jennifer Smith are the founders of Marriage After God and authors of Husband After God, Wife After God, and Marriage After God. Married since 2007 and raising six children in Bend, Oregon, they started Husband Revolution and Unveiled Wife to share what God was teaching them, not from a place of having it figured out, but as fellow travelers pointing couples back to Jesus.

In This Episode Marriage by design — Why marriage was God's idea and not a human invention. The Lego manual — Following the Designer's instructions for how marriage fits together. Monogamy in creation — What it means that only a small fraction of the animal kingdom is monogamous. Love and respect — Equal in value but different in need, drawn from Ephesians 5:33. Obedience that doesn't wait — Why obeying God isn't contingent on your spouse's behavior or decisions. The clacker toy — What separates a clunky marriage from a smooth one. Stumbling blocks — Not making obedience harder for your spouse (Romans 14:13). Running to the Holy Spirit — What to do in heated moments. Christ and the Church — How marriage reflects Christ's love and invites couples to celebrate their differences.

Scripture Referenced Ephesians 5:33 Romans 14:13

Resources from This Episode Get Husband After God and Wife After God at shop.marriageaftergod.com Husband After God on Amazon Wife After God on Amazon Full show notes and blog post

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