8 Things to Expect from Married Life as a Christian

1. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24 ESV

2. “Enjoy life with the wife whom you love.” Ecclesiastes 9:9 ESV

3. “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Ephesians 5:25 ESV 

4. “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord." Ephesians 5:22 ESV

5. “In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.” Ephesians 5:28 ESV

6. “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.” Hebrews 13:4 ESV 

7. “However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” Ephesians 5:33 ESV

8. “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.” Proverbs 18:22 ESV

9. “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.” 1 Peter 3:7 ESV

10. “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 ESV

Movies, books, and even well-intentioned friends would have us believe falling in love is the key to a successful marriage, and that it’s as easy as falling off a log. But while you may have been smitten by your love at first sight, that doesn’t mean you have what it takes for a lifetime together. Married life as a Christian is married life, and just like every other marriage, our faith won’t make a difference unless and until we make sure it does. God is not a magic genie who makes everything work out just because we say we’re His. But our faith in God and commitment to His principles found in the Bible give us a strong foundation for a strong marriage if we choose to follow them.

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Hollie Gilman blogs about Faith and Family at HollieGilman.com. She has spent the last 21 years momming, homeschooling her 3 almost-grown-and-flown children, and working with her husband of 24 years. Now she enjoys writing and her new life in the country (being a pretend farmer) just outside her hometown of Richmond, VA.

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