Chapter Five ~ What God Has Joined Together

"A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife in such that a way that the two become one person." Genesis 2:24

Marriage is two lives, each leaving behind their former selves and uniting to become one new person. Husbands and wives are told to leave their father and mother and cleave to one another. Husbands are to leave behind the submission to their parents authority and wives are to acknowledge that she now has a new authority. As wives we need to guard against anything that would separate us from our husband. We need to seek to please our spouse and focus our energy on our relationship with him.
Every relationship here on earth is marked by impermanence. The only permanent relationship we have is with Christ, our heavenly Husband. Because of this relationship, we leave our primary family behind and cleave to the husband He has given us in this life, as a illustration of the way the church clings to Christ.

"As a wife, you are now to identify yourself with your husband and his interests, instead of the interests of your childhood family." p 83 This means I give up camping, I give up the desire to live in the country, I give up any desires that don't match my husbands. Wow! It means I die to self for the benefit of my husband. How do I do this? I desperately need Christ to work in me, to change my heart, and give me an attitude of humility. It is only through Christ that I have any hope to be the wife He wants me to be.