The idea of marriage and family life originated from the Creator-God; therefore, we present a blueprint for marriage and family life as the Creator intended.
The health of families, houses of worship, communities, nations, and the world can improve if healthy marriages and family lives among young people are encouraged, supported, and promoted. A stable marriage and strong family life are often a source of immediate care, food, shelter, comfort, safety, and a cure for loneliness, which is usually connected with poor health, depression, adoption of health-risk behaviors, and early death. A strong and stable marriage and family life among young people is the most immediate source and strength of beliefs, values, faith, support, purpose, education, and work habits. The practice of healthy behaviors, including healthy eating, physical activity, avoidance of health-risk behaviors, healthy sleep and rest, and evidence-based coping skills, is common in well-structured and stable marriages and families. Young adults with strong and stable marriages and families provide the foundation for a society’s economic, social, and emotional health and well-being.
Fundamentally, marriage and family life modeled after the Creator’s blueprint provide an environment for children to be taught about God, how to pray, sing, and fellowship, learn how to honor their parents in the Lord, love, respect, trust, serve the community, and share responsibilities, which they can carry such godly nature, attitudes, and behaviors into ahealthy marriage and family lifethereafter.
As stated before, the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence of the United States on July 4, 1776, captures the timeless claim:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that their Creator endows them with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” This truth echoes the Bible’s declaration:
“So God created man in His own image… male and female He created them.”
Marriage is an institution established by God. It is God’s idea. No culture brought it about. God originated marriage and family life. “Marriage is a holy union, a living symbol, a precious relationship that needs tender, sacrificing care.” It is a picture of the relationship between Christ and His Church. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.1The Lord God said, It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper meet for him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore, shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall therefore, to his wife, and they shall be one flesh.”2 “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”3 For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away…”4
In marriage, the man leaves his parents in a public act, promising himself to his wife; the man and woman are joined together by taking responsibility for each other’s welfare and loving each other above all others; then the two become one flesh in intimacy and commitment of sexual union, which is reserved for marriage. The first man, Adam, and the first woman, Eve, married in the state of holiness, love, obedience, and oneness before the fall, modeling after the holiness, love, obedience, and oneness that exist in the Godhead. For they are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit: and these three are one.”5 This is a pattern of God-centered marriage and family life. God still requires this state of holiness before, during, and after marriage, as well as in family life today. Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”6
God established marriage and family life for several purposes. He created marriage and family life for procreation. Then God“blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth…”7 The command to “be fruitful and multiply” is inherently linked to marriage between a man and a woman and to family life, enabling the continuation of humanity and the fulfillment of God’s purpose on earth. For man to be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the world, God created a woman from one of the man’s ribs to be a helper suitable for him spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially, environmentally, occupationally, and financially, helping the man “to dress…and to keep” …the earth.8Marriage provides couples with fellowship, comfort, companionship, and partnership. It is one of God’s methods to keep men and women free from fornication and immorality. “It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have his own husband.”9These people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise.”10God created a man and a woman to be in a marriage relationship and family life for His glory, praise, and pleasure, fulfilling the purposes of God for their lives. No wonder God would come “walking in the garden in the cool of the day”11to fellowship with them and toreceive glory, praise, and worship fromthem
We support and empower young adults aged 20 to 39 to establish strong family relationships, build stable marriages, and lead family lives modeled on the Creator’s moral character. Follow us on our website, blog, social media platforms, and at conferences, seminars, workshops, community spiritual well-being events, and marriage enrichment events.