Many couples ask when it comes to marriage, should my spouse come first in my life? The short answer is no, you both should put God first.
Early on in marriage, newlyweds sometimes struggle to balance the relationship they have with God and with their spouse. Without realizing it, they often become complacent and forget that the covenant they made to each other wasn’t only between the two of them.
After praying for marriage (sometimes for years), and then having your prayers answered, it’s easy to become distracted by your elation. But, you have to be careful not to love the gift more than the giver. While we do need to prioritize our marriage, we have to put God first.
Don’t love your spouse so much that God becomes second in your life.
The honeymoon stage can cause our focus to wane as we try to love and serve our spouse in every way possible. And, all of this is great —appreciating your husband or wife is expected and required. Still, it’s important to learn how to become one without idolizing each other.
Exodus.20:3 says, “you shall have no other gods before me.” This word, ‘gods’ refers to anyone or anything that you put before Him — including your spouse.
We’ve got to learn how to worship God as a unit, instead of compartmentalizing our life. When we put Him first as a couple, He can bless our marriage.
Start by taking time every day to pray and worship together.
When you do, you’re building intimacy with God and your spouse. There is nothing more sacred than worship, and sharing this moment together will honor God and bring you closer to your husband or wife. Win-win!
Imagine seeing someone flirt with your spouse, but your spouse doesn’t realize it and they unintentionally encourage the behavior. Wouldn’t that get under your skin? Well, this is how God feels when we take Him for granted.
Exodus. 34:14 says, “God is a jealous God…” We don’t want to provoke the Lord to jealousy or sin by committing idolatry. God wants to be number one in our lives, and we shouldn’t make Him compete for our attention.
Remember, if we don’t put God first, everything else falls apart!
Listen, if you are recently married and feel like you may have been putting your relationship with God on the back burner, it’s not too late to make a change. God is not mad at you, this happens to a lot of couples! The Lord understands and He wants you to enjoy your marriage.
But, you have to be self-aware and honest with yourself if you’re feeling this way. Talk through it with your spouse and pray for wisdom on how to let go of that mindset. You might find out that they’re feeling the same way. If so, you can repent and begin to incorporate God into your union.
Being married is a blessing but we still have to feed our spirit and work out our salvation daily, it’s a journey (Philippians. 2:12-13).
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