Oneness of Identity

"Who is this coming up from the wilderness Leaning on her beloved?" ~ Song of Solomon 8:5

In the book of the Bible, The Song of Solomon, there are several aspects of faithful commitment. The first is a oneness of identity. The question is asked, “Who is coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?” (Song 8:5)

Solomon’s wife was unrecognizable as being distinguished from Solomon. They were one in the flesh and one in their place in society. Nobody perceived them as being apart from each other. That does not mean that Solomon’s wife lost all her identity as a person; it meant that nobody would dream of inviting Solomon to a social engagement without also inviting Solomon’s beloved wife, and nobody would think of flirting with Solomon because Solomon was committed to his wife and she to him.

We have all known couples who seem to go their separate ways even though they are still technically married. He does his thing, she does her thing, and the two of them rarely do the same thing.

That is not a faithful commitment. Marriage calls a person to a oneness of identity with another person.Paul urged, “Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church…Husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies” (Eph 5:25,28). This type of love is very personal. It requires a certain loss of self to take another person so completely into your own life that you make the other’s concerns equal to your own. That is a faithful commitment.

Does your marriage or relationship look like Solomon’s? Do you and your mate have a oneness of identity?

What are 2 ways that you could improve the unity in your marriage or relationship?

Will you commit to communicating these things to your spouse or significant other this week?

--Tommy Nelson

On a side note, please pray for my baby. I'm thinking she might have reflux. She has continued to get more and more fussy throughout the last week but it's been a really rough two days...