May 21
Cleaving and Commitment Genesis 2:24
For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.
A lot of people have taken romance to the classified ads these days. One that I ran across points out the need for commitment. It was from a young man who was courting a young lady and it really mirrored our times. It read: To Mary. My love for you would climb the highest mountain. My love for you would cross the hottest desert. My love for you would cause me to swim the widest stream. My love for you would cause me to die at the stake for you. Love, Jim. P.S. I'll see you Sunday, if it doesn't rain.
That's the way a lot of people are today. Their commitments are about six miles wide and one inch deep. One reason why we have lost romance in our relationships is we don't understand commitment, and we don't practice it in everyday life.
I'll tell you when commitment is really tested-during what I call the "marriage drift." That's what takes a relationship from the balcony, when you're being swept off your feet, to the battlefield, where you turn against your mate.
When God calls a man and woman to "cleave" to one another, He means for them to make a lifelong covenant that could only be broken by death. They leave one relationship (with their parents) and establish a total dependence and commitment to a new person.
Commitment enables two people to get to know each other and to work through life's difficulties when they face them. If you don't have commitment, you're going to find a way out of that marriage relationship. Today it's easier to get out of marriage than it is to get out of a record club.
Prayer: Reaffirm your wedding vows to one another in prayer by acknowledging your absolute commitment to your spouse.
Discuss: Have you seen the "marriage drift" occur in your relationship? How?
Visit the FamilyLife® Website, or Own Your Own Copy of This Devotional
Email
Facebook
Twitter
Print
Free Newsletters
