Recently I read that there were reports that illustrated that being married actually can improve your health and can make you live longer. First I thought of unhealthy engaged or married people who never exercised jumping for joy (then being completely out of breathe for exerting too much energy), but also that this makes sense biblically.
The article states that marriage, "...brings better mental and physical health, reducing the chance of premature death by 15 per cent..." Why? Because, "Commitment seems to provide networks of supportive and helpful relationships, beginning with the spouse or partner, leading to more healthy lifestyles and better emotional and physical healing."
**Note these studies are based on marriages that are loving and supportive**
How does Scripture illustrate this?
1. Genesis 2:18-
"The Lord God said, "It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
From the very beginning God saw that his creation of man should not be alone. God understood and created the notion of companionship. Pastor Jay Adams, believes that the essence of marriage is companionship. He says, "God did not primarily make Eve as Adam's helper...but as his companion. Adam too as all other husbands since is to provide companionship for her."
Who doesn't want a companion in life? As stated by Gen. 2:18, we were designed for it. Someone to weather storms, hard times, transitions in life but also to enjoy laughter, good times, vacations and transitions in life?
(I also understand that God calls some to singleness but being that this is not relevant to the topic I will not go into it)
2. Genesis 2:24:
"...man will leave...be united to his wife and the two will become one..."
Genesis furthers confirms the statistics of this study, a man will leave his family: with its comforts, finances, food, etc... to unite to his wife, and become one person. Now most think of this in a physical sense but it carries with it something much deeper.
THe word one is the Hebrew word echad, meaning oneness in unity not number. To gain better understanding of this we can look to the oneness of the Trinity. This word echad is used in terms of God (Duet. 6:1-2: Hear O' Israel, the Lord is one.") We know and declare God is one, yet that he expresses himself through the Son and Holy Spirit---their oneness is not questioned. The same with the man and woman---they leave themselves to become one in unity/ in complete oneness. This unity/oneness occurs because God designed marriage. He is the author of it, and his purpose for marriage is to display His glory. He kinda has a right to make marriage whatever he wants since he did create it. He recognized the feeling of Adam not to be alone, He created Eve, He presented her to Adam, and He deemed that a man would leave and unite himself to be one with his wife.
Cohabitation vs. Marriage
Naturally this would bring the topic of cohabitation up. I have had some argue that all the things in marriage can be achieved through cohabitation (defined as two people living together, sleeping together, acting like married couples yet not married). This has become increasingly popular in our nation and is done for various reasons: combined finances, love, afford a house, just feels right, etc. But this study finds that being in a loving and supportive marriage still exceeds the type of commitments made in cohabitation. Why?
Two things the article points out:
1. "...greater commitment confers greater benefit..."
2. "...marriage generally indicates a deeper commitment might explain why marriage is associated with better mental health outcomes than cohabiting. Cohabiting relationships tend to be less enduring. The most widely accepted explanation is that being in a committed relationship means better social support is available."
(with loving and supporting marraige in view)--WHy wouldn't a relationship based on a deep commitment to each and not on just sex, living together, money provide better mental health?
Living together doesn't mean your committed to each other, just as much as sleeping together doesn't mean your committed to each other. I spoke to a man once about his cohabitation, and told him he isn't showing the woman he loves that he wants to commit to her. Most women I know want to be reassured that your in it for good. They need to know that your are committed to protecting them, helping them, guiding them and not going to run away. This is similar for men: they want to know they are cared for, loved, and encouraged. I know for sure that I love knowing that I have someone in my corner, someone who will fight for me, protect me, and love me despite my numerous faults. It hopefully will make me a better husband, servant, and person. Cohabitation just misses the point entirely, and falls so short of the benefits of being in a Christ-centered agape marriage.
We view marriage in light of how Christ love the church:
Ephesians 5:22:
vs. 22: "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her..."
Paul emphasizes that the man should love his wife like Christ loves his bride (the church). The role of the husband imitates Christ' love for his church, even to the point of dying for her. The reason for this is that marriage is meant to display God's glory. What other manner of Christ leaving the Father, to cling to his bride to unite it to himself, dying for her because he loved her so much. Read onto verses 31-32:
Vs. 31-32: "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.
The point of the article is that a deep commitment illustrated by marriage improves mental health and physical health. Scripture illustrates that these are the numerous benefits of a Christ-centered, agape loving marriage, except that it has spiritual implications and benefits. When a man and a woman love each other, by displaying God's glory in their marriage, benefits will abide. I can only hope and pray that my own marriage will display this so that people will see Christ, and our oneness with him through the oneness of me and my wife.
Be Blessed.
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