1 True Talks
1 True Talks
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.
Hi, I'm Renee Richel, the founder and president of 1 True Match. I'm here to help you find and cultivate the love of your life. For over a decade, I've dedicated my life to the importance, purpose and dynamic of human relationships. My team and I are disciplined by faith, love and integrity to help our clients find the quality relationship they've always dreamt of. Each week, I will be sharing the tools and tips I've learned that have rooted my success as a matchmaker with other leaders around the world. Hello, loves, welcome back. I hope you are having an incredible week.
Renee Richel:I cannot tell you how excited I am about today's episode, because we are kicking off a brand new season, and this one is all about marriage. If you've been tuning in over the last few weeks, you know we've been diving deep into singleness, learning how to embrace it, thrive in it and use that season to grow closer to God. But today we're shifting gears because preparing for marriage starts long before. You say I do. And if you are not yet married and you are single, dating, engaged or well, that's it before marriage. This is definitely for you and our married folks. It's definitely important when you are prior to dating, learning how to be married and when you are married, how to stay successfully married. So today we're going to talk about happily ever after and beyond, thriving in marriage God's way. So let me ask you how do you view marriage? Is it the fairy tale love story? You grew up watching A partnership built on trust. Or maybe you've seen broken marriages and wonder if a thriving, god-centered marriage is even possible? Well, today we're going straight to the source, god's word, to uncover his blueprint for marriage. We'll talk about God's original design, the biblical foundation for marriage, and even take a look at some couples in the Bible, some who got it right and others who. Well, let's just say we can learn from their mistakes. So grab your cup of coffee, your beverage of choice, your journal and let's dive in.
Renee Richel:First things first, marriage is God's design. Marriage isn't just a human idea, it's a God idea. From the very beginning, god designed marriage to reflect his love, unity and purpose. In Genesis 2.18.24, we see this clearly. 18, 24, we see this clearly the Lord God said it is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him. That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife and they become one flesh.
Renee Richel:Marriage is meant to be so much more than just a romantic relationship. God designed it to be a partnership. Adam and Eve were created to complement and support each other. It wasn't about one person doing all the work. It was about walking through life together. A covenant, not just a contract. A contract says I do my part if you do yours, but a covenant says I'm committed to you no matter what. And that's the kind of love God calls us to be in. That's the kind of love God calls us to be in, a reflection of Christ and the church. In Ephesians 5.25, husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loved the church. That means sacrificial, selfless and unwavering love.
Renee Richel:A marriage rooted in God's design isn't about what can I get, but rather how can I serve? Now let's be honest. Marriage isn't just this effortless 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 your future spouse, preparing for engagement or already married, now is the time to align with 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, marriage takes work, faith, work, faith and grace. The good news. God has given us real life examples in the Bible to show us what to do and what not to do when it comes to love and commitment.
Renee Richel:Let's take a look at three marriages in scripture and the powerful lesson they teach us. Let's start with Abraham and Sarah. They teach us let's start with Abraham and Sarah trusting God's timing over our own. We learn about Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 16. They were promised a child, but as the years passed, doubt crept in. Instead of waiting on God's perfect timing, they took matters into their own hands, leading to heartbreak and complications. So the lesson here is rushing ahead of God's plan will only cause unnecessary struggles. We have to trust that God is writing your love story in his perfect timeline, in his perfect timeline.
Renee Richel:Next up is Ruth and Boaz, a love built on character, not just chemistry. Ruth's story isn't your typical romance. She lost her husband, yet remained faithful to God and her family. Because of her faithfulness, humility and integrity, a love story written by God will be built on something deeper than just fleeting emotions. And last but not least, we have Priscilla and Aquila, a marriage focused on kingdom purpose. We read this story in Acts 18. Unlike some of the more well-known love stories in the Bible, priscilla and Aquila weren't famous for their romance. They were known for their ministry. They served side by side, strengthening the early church and even teaching alongside Paul.
Renee Richel:The main tip we can learn from their relationship is a thriving marriage isn't just about two people in love. It's about two people chasing after God together. When your marriage is built on purpose, your love will flourish. So which story speaks most to you? Do you relate to Abraham and Sarah struggling to trust God's timing? Are you inspired by Ruth and Boaz, where faithfulness led to a beautiful redemption story, or do you desire a Priscilla and Aquila kind of marriage, one focused on God's kingdom?
Renee Richel:No matter where you are in your love journey, god is still writing your story. He knows the desires of your heart and when we trust him, he will lead us into relationships that honor him and bring us joy. So, in conclusion, no matter what season you're in single, dating, engaged or married preparation starts now. If you're single, this is your time to grow in your relationship with God and become the person he's called you to be. Marriage isn't about finding the one. It's about becoming the one who's ready for a God-oriented relationship. If you're dating or engaged, build your relationship on biblical principles, not just emotions. A strong foundation now will carry you through the highs and lows. If you're married, keep investing in your relationship, stay rooted in God's word and pray for each other daily.
Renee Richel:Before we wrap it up, I want to challenge you. Take time this week to pray over your future or current marriage. Ask God to align your heart with his design. If this episode blessed you, share it with your friend who needs encouragement or a loved one who could really use these words of affirmation in their journey to find love. Next week we are going to talk about the secret to a strong marriage love, honor and teamwork. I hope you have a blessed week and can't wait for our next chat. It's been another great talk on this episode of 1 True Talks by Renee Richel. I look forward to our next chat. Please write in your questions and comments so I can be sure to talk about whatever it is you want to discuss in our next upcoming episode. Lots of love, God Bless. XOXO.