Happily Ever After & Beyond: Thriving in Marriage God's Way

Marriage isn't just a human idea—it's a God idea designed from the very beginning to reflect His love, unity, and purpose. We kick off a new season focused entirely on thriving in marriage God's way by examining the biblical blueprint for lasting, fulfilling relationships.

What does marriage look like when built on God's foundation rather than cultural expectations? We explore the profound difference between marriages based on contracts versus covenants. While contracts operate on conditional terms, covenants represent unconditional commitment—exactly the kind of love Christ demonstrated for the church. This perspective transforms marriage from a self-serving arrangement into a partnership focused on mutual service and shared purpose.

Scripture offers powerful examples of marriages that teach us what to embrace and what to avoid. Abraham and Sarah's impatience warns against rushing ahead of God's perfect timing. Ruth and Boaz demonstrate how character attracts more powerfully than mere chemistry. Priscilla and Aquila show us a marriage united in kingdom purpose, serving side by side to advance God's mission. These biblical relationships reveal that thriving marriages aren't built on fairy tale perfection but on faith, character, and shared divine purpose. Whether you're single, dating, engaged, or married, preparation for God's design of marriage starts now—by becoming the person He's called you to be. Join us next week as we explore love, honor, and teamwork as secrets to building a strong marriage that honors the Lord.

Support the show

Episode Transcript

Renee Richel (00:07):
Hi, I'm Renee Richel, the founder and
president of 1 True Match.
I'm here to help you find andcultivate the love of your life.
For over a decade, I'vededicated my life to the
importance, purpose and dynamicof human relationships.
My team and I are disciplinedby faith, love and integrity to
help our clients find thequality relationship they've

(00:28):
always dreamt of.
Each week, I will be sharingthe tools and tips I've learned
that have rooted my success as amatchmaker with other leaders
around the world.
Hello, loves, welcome back.
I hope you are having anincredible week.
I cannot tell you how excited Iam about today's episode,

(00:50):
because we are kicking off abrand new season, and this one
is all about marriage.
If you've been tuning in overthe last few weeks, you know
we've been diving deep intosingleness, learning how to
embrace it, thrive in it and usethat season to grow closer to

(01:14):
God.
But today we're shifting gearsbecause preparing for marriage
starts long before.
You say I do.
And if you are not yet marriedand you are single, dating,
engaged or well, that's itbefore marriage.
This is definitely for you andour married folks.
It's definitely important whenyou are prior to dating,

(01:37):
learning how to be married andwhen you are married, how to
stay successfully married.
So today we're going to talkabout happily ever after and
beyond, thriving in marriageGod's way.
So let me ask you how do youview marriage?
Is it the fairy tale love story?

(01:57):
You grew up watching Apartnership built on trust.
Or maybe you've seen brokenmarriages and wonder if a
thriving, god-centered marriageis even possible?
Well, today we're goingstraight to the source, god's
word, to uncover his blueprintfor marriage.

(02:19):
We'll talk about God's originaldesign, the biblical foundation
for marriage, and even take alook at some couples in the
Bible, some who got it right andothers who.
Well, let's just say we canlearn from their mistakes.
So grab your cup of coffee,your beverage of choice, your

(02:43):
journal and let's dive in.
First things first, marriage isGod's design.
Marriage isn't just a humanidea, it's a God idea.
From the very beginning, goddesigned marriage to reflect his
love, unity and purpose.
In Genesis 2.18.24, we see thisclearly.

(03:04):
18, 24, we see this clearly theLord God said it is not good
for the man to be alone.
I will make a helper suitablefor him.
That is why a man leaves hisfather and mother and is united
with his wife and they becomeone flesh.

(03:25):
Marriage is meant to be so muchmore than just a romantic
relationship.
God designed it to be apartnership.
Adam and Eve were created tocomplement and support each
other.
It wasn't about one persondoing all the work.
It was about walking throughlife together.

(03:45):
A covenant, not just a contract.
A contract says I do my part ifyou do yours, but a covenant
says I'm committed to you nomatter what.
And that's the kind of love Godcalls us to be in.
That's the kind of love Godcalls us to be in, a reflection
of Christ and the church.

(04:06):
In Ephesians 5.25, husbands arecalled to love their wives as
Christ loved the church.
That means sacrificial,selfless and unwavering love.
A marriage rooted in God'sdesign isn't about what can I
get, but rather how can I serve?

(04:26):
Now let's be honest.
Marriage isn't just thiseffortless fairy tale like the
movies make it out to be.
It takes intentionality,preparation and, most of all,
trust in God's plan.
Whether you're waiting for yourfuture spouse, preparing for
engagement or already married,now is the time to align with

(04:51):
God's blueprint for your love.
When we think about marriage,we often picture the perfect
couple walking hand in hand,never arguing, always
understanding each other.
But let's be real, marriagetakes work, faith, work, faith

(05:16):
and grace.
The good news.
God has given us real lifeexamples in the Bible to show us
what to do and what not to dowhen it comes to love and
commitment.
Let's take a look at threemarriages in scripture and the
powerful lesson they teach us.
Let's start with Abraham andSarah.
They teach us let's start withAbraham and Sarah trusting God's
timing over our own.
We learn about Abraham andSarah in Genesis 16.

(05:44):
They were promised a child, butas the years passed, doubt
crept in.
Instead of waiting on God'sperfect timing, they took
matters into their own hands,leading to heartbreak and
complications.
So the lesson here is rushingahead of God's plan will only
cause unnecessary struggles.
We have to trust that God iswriting your love story in his

(06:08):
perfect timeline, in his perfecttimeline.
Next up is Ruth and Boaz, a lovebuilt on character, not just
chemistry.
Ruth's story isn't your typicalromance.

(06:47):
She lost her husband, yetremained faithful to God and her
family.
Because of her faithfulness,humility and integrity, a love
story written by God will bebuilt on something deeper than
just fleeting emotions.
And last but not least, we havePriscilla and Aquila, a
marriage focused on kingdompurpose.

(07:09):
We read this story in Acts 18.
Unlike some of the morewell-known love stories in the
Bible, priscilla and Aquilaweren't famous for their romance
.
They were known for theirministry.
They served side by side,strengthening the early church

(07:30):
and even teaching alongside Paul.
The main tip we can learn fromtheir relationship is a thriving
marriage isn't just about twopeople in love.
It's about two people chasingafter God together.
When your marriage is built onpurpose, your love will flourish

(07:50):
.
So which story speaks most toyou?
Do you relate to Abraham andSarah struggling to trust God's
timing?
Are you inspired by Ruth andBoaz, where faithfulness led to
a beautiful redemption story, ordo you desire a Priscilla and
Aquila kind of marriage, onefocused on God's kingdom?

(08:15):
No matter where you are in yourlove journey, god is still
writing your story.
He knows the desires of yourheart and when we trust him, he
will lead us into relationshipsthat honor him and bring us joy.
So, in conclusion, no matterwhat season you're in single,

(08:37):
dating, engaged or marriedpreparation starts now.
If you're single, this is yourtime to grow in your
relationship with God and becomethe person he's called you to
be.
Marriage isn't about findingthe one.
It's about becoming the onewho's ready for a God-oriented

(08:57):
relationship.
If you're dating or engaged,build your relationship on
biblical principles, not justemotions.
A strong foundation now willcarry you through the highs and
lows.
If you're married, keepinvesting in your relationship,
stay rooted in God's word andpray for each other daily.

(09:20):
Before we wrap it up, I want tochallenge you.
Take time this week to prayover your future or current
marriage.
Ask God to align your heartwith his design.
If this episode blessed you,share it with your friend who

(09:40):
needs encouragement or a lovedone who could really use these
words of affirmation in theirjourney to find love.
Next week we are going to talkabout the secret to a strong
marriage love, honor andteamwork.
I hope you have a blessed weekand can't wait for our next chat
.
It's been another great talk onthis episode of 1 True Talks by

(10:09):
Renee Richel.
I look forward to our next chat.
Please write in your questionsand comments so I can be sure to
talk about whatever it is youwant to discuss in our next
upcoming episode.
Lots of love, God Bless.
XOXO.