PURPOSE AND BEAUTY 

Jenna Worsham 

Today’s Scripture: “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 

Theme: God created marriage and sexuality with purpose and beauty. Sin distorts God’s purpose for us. 

BEAUTY 

Recently, our family of five attended a wedding ceremony and associated themed parties over three days in Temecula, California. Love, when celebrated and on display, may remind us of the vows we made, the life we have lived since then, and the ways that commitment has changed us. Or maybe wedding celebrations offer hope or comfort in knowing that love is possible. There is no doubt that willing, self-sacrificial, and mutual love is a beautiful thing.  

Jesus displayed perfect love when He lived a sinless life and then died for our sins. Marriage is one way we can experience and offer a love that is patterned after His love. “This is a profound mystery – but I am talking about Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:32, NIVUK). In Ephesians 5, Paul compares relationships between married couples to the relationship of Christ and His Church. He also admits that the nature of this union is “a profound mystery” which checks out; Paul was never married. This section of Scripture is both familiar and often debated. A primary purpose of our self-sacrificial and loving relationships is this: to become more like Jesus. He displayed His love for the Church physically and verbally. He allows us to reflect His glory, beauty, and grace as we likewise display our love. 

LEAVING FATHER AND MOTHER 

Another relationship that shows a characteristic of God is the parent/child relationship. This can be an experience that smooths off our rough edges, teaching us to become more patient, more caring, less selfish, more committed, and faithful. In short, parenting can teach us to be more like God our Father.  

As I write this, I am sitting in the Los Angeles airport waiting to board a plane back to Charlotte with my family of five. To take this trip and attend my friend’s wedding took a lot of planning, packing, coordinating, traveling, financial sacrifice, and adjusting our family’s schedule.  

My parents attended the same wedding and will return home a few days after us. They don’t have to rush home for the first day of school (which will be one day after we arrive home). They don’t need to pack snacks for everyone. If you have ever been responsible for a group while traveling, you know how easy and free you feel when you subsequently travel alone!  

Leaving our fathers and mothers isn’t about providing freedom for them so much as it is about learning to trust God, care for others, and appreciate all that our parents and heavenly Father have poured into us. Jesus related to Joseph and Mary as a child until eventually He left their care. We, like Jesus, never stop relating to God as our Father. We don’t ever leave His care. Yet, as children we do leave our parents, learning to provide first for ourselves and sometimes for our own children. Whether we partner in marriage or follow God in another direction, leaving home teaches us to rely on God in a new way.  

NEITHER ULTIMATE NOR OBSOLETE 

When we observe a beautiful marriage partnership that has endured time, trial, and joy, it is easy to believe that God created it with purpose and beauty. Yet sometimes we are tempted to take a good or beautiful gift and elevate it into an idol. I’m thankful my grandparents married, had children and remained committed for many years. Yet the path they took isn’t the one for everyone. I’m tempted to elevate the marriage relationship from good gift to idol when I rely on my partner for things only God can provide. Or, when I believe life is not complete without a romantic relationship, making unmarried friends feel left out or less than. All of these may indicate valuing a marriage relationship as the ultimate thing – an idol.  

While married love is not the ultimate goal and is certainly not required to live well, it is a valuable assignment for those who are called to that path. Every challenge and adventure in life is an opportunity to develop holiness. Marriage is not obsolete. God blesses marriage and uses it to bring people closer to Himself.  

SIN DISTORTS GOD REDEEMS 

Any distortion of God’s gifts leaves us with a deficit. God intends all our assignments for our good, yet we often miss the mark. When we selfishly take pleasure for ourselves or expect to receive without reciprocation in a relationship, we miss the mark. When we want only status, acceptance, wealth, or physical satisfaction from a relationship, we miss the mark. When we wrongly pressure others to seek marriage, we miss the mark. Sin distorts God’s good and purposeful gifts. Yet, God always provides a path to redemption when we seek Him. 

Make It Personal: When you attend a wedding, what thoughts and emotions rise within you? Have you considered the purpose of self-sacrificing, loving relationships? In what way does sin threaten to distort a loving relationship in your life? Pray for direction and the ability to see beauty in this season. 

Pray: Dear God, thank You for the way You teach us about love, by allowing us to love people. Having a spouse or child is a precious gift. I’m sorry for the ways that I distort Your loving example because of my own imperfection. Help me to love well within the relationships You have given to me. Each self-sacrificing, loving relationship was meant to reflect the beauty and purpose You intended. Help me as I learn to become more like You each day. Help my actions and intentions change as I seek and find You. Out of the abundance of Your love and peace, may I provide and lavishly give to others. In Jesus’ Name, amen.  

Read: Ephesians 5:1-3; 1 Peter 3:8-12 

Weekly Memory Verse: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans, 3:23