The Empirical Triangle of the Marriage Union

I have never been married, but I believe that 55 years of life observances has taught me a few things. I ask that you indulge me for just a few moments as I share a few of my humble thoughts on the subject.

This simple exercise will help to illustrate my points. First, take out a blank piece of paper and draw an upright triangle. You will note that a triangle has 3 sides. For the purposes of this illustration, one side of the triangle will represent the man (husband), the other side will represent the woman (wife), and the bottom of the triangle will represent the base or the spiritual foundation.  You will also note that the pinnacle or point of the triangle points upwards towards Heaven.

Take away either side of the triangle and the other side can continue to stand, although it now stands alone without the support of the other side. You will also note that the point of the triangle has been broken, and there is now an open space which for the purposes of this illustration, represents the world and all of its temptations which can cause us to lose our focus.

Replace the side of the triangle that you removed, and remove the base or the spiritual foundation. What happens? The entire infrastructure of the triangle collapses representing the end of a relationship.

In my observations, marriage is not just about the man, nor is it just about the woman, it is about the two becoming one and supporting one another in an equal relationship that is built upon a firm foundation, with their eyes always looking up towards Heaven to the One who is able to sustain them and keep the union together.

As the angles that make up a triangle are of equal value, so are the husband and wife of equal importance in a marital relationship. As the triangle only remains to be a triangle so long as a base is there to support it, the spiritual foundation of a marriage relationship is of equal importance in holding the union together and keeping the couple focused on those things that matter most in life. They are able to endure the temptations of life together, and live in the world, but not be of the world.

The husband can do some things in life without the support of his wife and the opposite is also true, but they can do so much more with the strong support of one another to help keep each other grounded on a firm foundation and their eyes focused on the pinnacle.  In essence, it becomes a basic mathematical equation: 1 + 1 = 1, as two people, the husband and wife, become one. And as they become one, they draw closer to God, and closer to one another.

Additional Resources:

Marriage Isn’t For You by Seth Adam Smith

I’m Letting My Wife Go by Seth Adam Smith