I came across this very moving quote by Matthew Henry on the creation of woman in Genesis 2.  He writes,’ the woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.’ It is beautiful vision of the complementarity of the sexes and the mutual responsibilities within marriage.

My Dad who was happily married for over 40 years used to joke that he was going to write a book called, ‘How to be Happy though Married.’ He may have been closer to the mark than he knew.
A recent article in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy has suggested that married couples will be happier if they accept that their relationship will not be perfect. It says that it is a “myth that, with enough effort we can achieve a state without suffering.” And perhaps the most stunning observation of all- the Hollywood version of romance is a myth!

It is good to have this injection of reality into the modern mindset, where largely there is a myth of the perfect life perpetuated. And where people are the victims (often culpable ones at that) of unrealistic expectations in a culture where advice comes from magazines. Of course what the Bible seeks to present us with is a realistic vision of life where fallen people live in a fallen world. Where we cannot obtain perfection in this life. But we can know the grace of God through which we can still find purpose and help in this broken world. More than that we can also find redemption from this world in heaven where we will enter that realm where the defects of sin have been removed.

One suggested remedy for marital conflict is to practice mindfulness from Buddhism, but in a non-religious. A much more creative answer is to be in a right relationship the God who has created us for his glory and who has revealed Himself to us in His Son Jesus. And who has promised us His peace and His contentment amidst the realities of living in this fallen world.