Spouse Checklist

Why do marriages fail?  Why do so many end up in divorce?  Divorce.com which seeks to resource you “before, during, and after a divorce” has a list of the top 10 reasons marriages fail:

  1. Financial Problems
  2. Communication Problems
  3. Family Problems
  4. Sex Problems
  5. Friend Problems
  6. Addiction Problems
  7. Abuse Problems
  8. Personality Problems
  9. Expectation Problems
  10. Time Problems

While every marriage experiences problems of some kind, it is helpful to remember that God is the author of marriage.  He is for your marriage.  No matter what the problem is, he is able to work in it.

In the early pages of the Bible, God creates man in his own image (Gen. 1:27).  he then creates a woman because he was alone (Gen. 2:18).  In the Garden of Eden before the Fall of Mankind, God walked with Adam face to face and yet still said he was alone.  While God could have met all of Adam’s needs, he chose not to meet all of them solely by himself.

In marriage, God provides a suitable helper for us.

No other creation would suffice.  None of them worked.  He created woman and then both had help to fulfill God’s calling.

What exactly was God’s calling for them?  The only thing I can reason is to evaluate what they had before they had each other.

Before Eve, Adam had a relationship with God, role from God, and a rule from God.

If that is the case, then any helper would probably come along to help in those areas.

Are you wanting to protect yourself from divorce?  Are you wanting to experience a more God-glorifying, satisfying marriage?  Maybe you should start thinking how you can help your spouse in those areas.  Here’s a checklist for you.

Spouse Checklist

  1. How is my spouse’s relationship with God?  How can I help it?
  2. For what role does God have my spouse on this earth?  How can I help further it?
  3. What rule is a tough one for my spouse to keep?  How can I encourage my spouse towards obedience?

[For more on this topic, check out the sermon, “Suitable Helper.“]