The Bible illustrates God's relationship with Christians using a variety of examples. One that clearly speaks out is the institution of marriage.

Ephesians 5 gives us the best comparison of how marriage should reflect God's relationship with His people, the church. Let's look at Ephesians 5:31-33:

"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband."

Aside from this passage, there are other parts of the Bible that use a marriage relationship to show how much God loves the church.

Song of Solomon 2:10, for example, shows the bride (representative of us) speaking of her lover (representing Christ):

"My lover said to me, 'Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one!'"

Knowing these, we should also look at marriage differently. Are you married? Or single and hoping to be married? Here are some ways the marriage covenant should help you be more faithful to God, too.

1. It's a Commitment That Ends in Death

Marriage starts with a vow to love our spouses, "til' death do us part." This is how God wants our love for Him, too.

Marriages are lifelong commitments that come with an unconditional promise to love no matter what circumstances may come. Whether in good or in bad, in sickness or in health, for richer or for poorer, in laughter and in tears, in huge waistlines or not, the commitment to love never changes—even until death.

That's how we should love God, too.

2. In Marriage, We Commit to Forsake All Others

When a person marries, that person commits to forsake all others at the marriage altar. This means there will be no more room for another in one person's life. The married man or woman will never entertain even just the thought of allowing or pursuing another person romantically.

In the same way, when we commit to the Lord, we should never entertain other so-called gods or idols. We forsake worldly pursuits and press on to Christ until the day we die.

3. We Put Our Spouses Ahead of Us

When we marry, our focus becomes that of giving the best and taking care of our spouses, even before meeting our own needs. Husbands are commanded to love their wives as Christ loved the church, and the wives are likewise commanded to submit to their husbands as the church submits to Christ.

This also applies to our pursuit of Christ. If we want to follow Him, we must deny ourselves and take up our crosses. If we love our spouses, we must learn to set aside our own comforts and meet their needs first.

Marriages Help You Pursue God

God has been using my marriage to remind me of His goodness.

Whenever I see my wife smile at me, I remember how much God blessed me with a partner who is perfect for me. When I'm down, my wife encourages me and prays for me, reminding me how much God wants me to trust Him. These, and many other things that I see in my beloved wife, remind me of God's goodness always.

I am convinced that marriage is God's way of showing me how much He loves me. I know He wants you to see His love through your marriage, too.