The Foundations of Marriage: Rooted in God’s Design
“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” — Psalm 127:1. This verse beautifully encapsulates God’s design for marriage, where a strong foundation is built upon faith and divine guidance.
God’s design for marriage is more than a wedding ceremony—it’s the foundation for families, communities, and even nations. This past weekend I was reminded of this truth as I stood beside my best friend at her wedding and later looked through photos from a former youth student’s wedding. Both were beautiful reminders that marriage, when centered on God, is a covenant that shapes more than two people. Both ceremonies were beautiful—simple, heartfelt, and reflective of who these couples truly are.
It reminded me how much energy we pour into weddings—the flowers, the dresses, the food, the music. But the wedding is just the beginning. The real journey begins after the vows, when the marriage itself takes shape. Too often we celebrate the big day but forget to keep celebrating, encouraging, and supporting the covenant that follows. Strong marriages need more than two people. They grow stronger when surrounded by friends, family, and a community of faith that offers encouragement and accountability.
The Creator of Marriage
In today’s culture, weddings often revolve around our preferences. We pick colors, menus, and playlists that match our style. While there is nothing wrong with creativity, we can forget that marriage itself is not our design. God created marriage from the very beginning, joining man and woman together as one flesh (Genesis 2:24).
When Christ is at the center, marriage becomes more than a contract. It is a covenant that reflects God’s love for His people. That truth is what makes marriage sacred and lasting. Just as marriage is a covenant, so too did our Founders understand the importance of covenant when laying out America’s founding principles.
The Creator of Marriage: God’s Design for Marriage
God’s design for marriage is simple but profound. It is a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman, joined together as “one flesh.” Jesus affirmed this design: “Haven’t you read… that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate” (Matthew 19:4–6).
Marriage provides companionship (Genesis 2:18), fulfills God’s command to be fruitful (Genesis 1:28), and mirrors Christ’s love for the Church (Ephesians 5:25–32). Husbands are called to love sacrificially. Wives are called to respect and support. This design is not about control or competition. It is about unity, love, and reflecting God’s character to the world.
When marriage follows God’s design, it becomes a living testimony of faithfulness, grace, and commitment. It strengthens families, which in turn strengthens communities and nations. In the same way, when government follows God’s principles, it too produces stability and blessing—something our Founders recognized when shaping the Constitution’s biblical roots.
The Creator of Marriage: God’s Design for Marriage
Our country depends on strong families. A healthy, whole family unit is more than a private blessing—it is the backbone of society. Children thrive when they have both a mother and a father present, each filling vital roles. Marriage provides the stability and commitment that makes this possible.
When homes are rooted in love and godly instruction, they raise children who carry those same values into the future. Strong families create strong communities, and strong communities create a stronger nation. The Founders often wrote that morality and virtue within the home were essential to protect liberty.
Wrestling with Divorce
The reality, however, is that many marriages struggle. Divorce has become far too common. Scripture acknowledges divorce, but it makes a clear distinction. There are biblical grounds—such as adultery or abandonment (Matthew 19:9; 1 Corinthians 7:15). But many divorces today happen for reasons outside of God’s design.
God’s heart has always leaned toward reconciliation, forgiveness, and covenant faithfulness. So we must ask: why are divorce rates so high? Why do so many marriages end instead of endure?
Then and Now: What Happens When We Forget God’s Design for Marriage
Not long ago, divorce was rare. Families stayed together, even through hardship. Couples leaned on faith, community, and perseverance to work through challenges. As families remained whole, children grew up with stability, and our nation was healthier.
Now, as families fracture, the effects are everywhere. Crime rises. Poverty deepens. Children face identity struggles and mental health battles. Schools, workplaces, and communities all feel the impact. Research on fatherlessness shows how deeply family breakdown affects the next generation. When fathers are absent, children often lack direction. When marriages collapse, society pays the price—through broken systems, strained resources, and wounded generations. The truth is clear: when the family breaks down, the nation weakens. In the same way, when we ignore God’s truths in government, the nation also suffers.
Moving Forward with God’s Design for Marriage
If we want divorce rates to fall and families to grow stronger, we must return marriage to its foundation—God Himself. This means building marriages on prayer, Scripture, and accountability. It means preparing young couples not only for the wedding day, but for a lifetime of commitment. And it means each of us—whether married, single, or divorced—championing God’s vision for the family.
A Call to Action
So where do we start? Pray daily for your marriage and for the marriages around you. Invest in young couples. Mentor them. Encourage them. Model God’s design in your own home. Be the kind of friend, parent, or church member who doesn’t just attend weddings, but walks alongside couples for years to come. Focus on the Family has excellent resources to help support marriages at every stage.
This weekend reminded me that weddings can be more than beautiful events. They can be testimonies of faith, glimpses of God’s love, and building blocks for the future of families and nations. Let’s not stop at celebrating the wedding day. Let’s do the harder, holier work of building strong marriages—so that our homes, our communities, and our country can stand firm again. Just as restoring marriages strengthens families, returning to the truths in our founding documents is key to restoring the nation.