It is not good that the man should be alone… – Genesis 2:18, KJV

I ran into a good friend today, and during our brief conversation we touched on the topic of marriage. We both agreed that many marriages fail because one or both of the spouses entered into the marriage for one or more wrong reasons. Although there are many right reasons for marriage listed in the Bible, the foundational reason for a man and a woman to marry is to fulfill God’s Covenant (Promise) of Companionship.

Merriam Webster’s Dictionary defines a “companion” as “one employed to live with and serve another.”*  In Genesis 2:18 (AMP), God established the foundational purpose of marriage to be that of companionship – of service – between a husband and a wife:

Now the Lord God said, It is not good (sufficient, satisfactory) that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper (suitable, adapted, complementary) for him.

Although Genesis 2:18 focuses on the wife’s service to the husband, the Bible is clear in other passages on marriage (1 Corinthians 7:33, for example) that the husband is to serve his wife.  This mutual service takes on many shapes, forms, and fashions, but the key to a good marriage is that both spouses understand and commit to the concept of mutual service. Biblical, marital companionship is a two-way street. When one spouse is carrying the load, the marriage is headed towards disaster.

For the unmarried, a key clue to knowing if a potential spouse is the “right one” is to ask yourself the question, “Do I want to serve this person more than I want to serve myself, and does he/she act that way towards me?” If the answer is “yes” on both counts, and as long as the Holy Spirit doesn’t put the brakes on, there’s a really good chance you found your companion. If the answer is “no” on either count, then run away!

For the married person whose marriage is low on companionship, it’s not too late. Companionship can start with one spouse, and when one spouse overflows with companionship, the other spouse might just catch the wave. To learn how to be the catalyst of companionship in your marriage, visit the thelovedarebook.com. The Love Dare was featured in the Christian movie Fireproof, and it maps out a wonderful plan for generating companionship in a struggling marriage.

Selfishness leads to a horrible marriage. Service leads to a joy-filled one. For a marriage to flourish, the Covenant of Companionship must be its foundation.

*Merriam Webster’s Dictionary iPad App.

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