Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Gen 2:24
God has a plan and purpose for asking the man to leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife. Husbands if you don’t leave and cleave to your wife you won’t enjoy the fullness of your marriage.
Cleaving to your spouse says “I am NOT here for what I can get from you, nor for the possibilities, nor for the gains.” Cleaving in marriage is a deep, lasting, unconditional commitment to your spouse. It is saying to your spouse, “I am here for the long hurl…till death do us part!”
Leaving and cleaving entails that there be clear boundaries set in a couples’ marriage. Porous boundaries and unset boundaries account for a good number of failed marriages every year. Marriage and personal boundaries are breached by friends, foes, families and strangers on a regular basis unless somebody identifies the boundary, announces the boundary to all and defends it whenever there is an attempt to breach its perimeter. How often do we see or hear about a mother in-law or a father in-law causing problems in a marriage?
On the other hand, if you leave and cleave to anyone (a strange woman/man; the strange voice) or anything (your job, electronic gadgets, sports, politics) other than your spouse, you are at best short changing yourself big time! When boundaries are set and maintained, a couple can actually work on becoming one.
