Got Married? Now What?
What Does God Want from a Marriage?
Most people love the thought of getting married. It's very exciting and the couple is on a natural high. However, once you get married, the challenges often come quickly and no couple is completely prepared for it. The Christian faith, however, gives us some insight into what makes a successful marriage.
First, now that you're married, the Bible says that you are no longer two individuals, but you have become one flesh. If you take this image seriously, it means that you when you got married, you became one person. Think about how you would act and think and feel if you and your spouse were one. It would probably solve most marriage problems!
Second, the Church teaches that once you're married, you must practice fidelity. That means that you are completely faithful to your spouse. This fidelity means that you will love your spouse above all else, except for God, and cherish him or her. You should resist every temptation to cheat, since your love should be only for the person you married.
Third, you and your spouse are a part of an unbreakable bond. Marriage is until death and should be viewed that way by both partners. This means that a married couple must work out all problems, recognizing that their bond has been blessed by God. Once a spouse dies, the surviving spouse is free to remarry.
Finally, the Catholic Church teaches that marriage has two aspects, the unitive and the procreative. Not only does getting married bring the couple together and make them one, it also becomes a vehicle for expressing their married love by having children.
Love is usually enough to get a person through the first year or so after you got married. Now, invite God into the relationship and follow His ways to keep your marriage strong, happy, and focused on the right things.