A Cord of Three Strands
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“Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
As we approach Valentine’s Day this month, I have been reflecting on a passage of scripture that always makes me think about marriage. In Ecclesiastes 4:9 we read “Two are better than one” because they can help one another and protect one another. Isn’t that a big part of the marriage partnership? It means we don’t have to go through life alone. But we know that marriage partnerships require some effort to make them thrive and flourish.
Where do we find the strength to make our marriages work? There’s a clue at the end of that passage, where we read, “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” I have found that marriage is strengthened when we put God at the center of the relationship—in essence, asking God to be the third strand in that “cord of three strands.”
I recently performed a little experiment based on this scripture passage, using some cords I picked up at a craft store. I took two cords, representing husband and wife, and wound them together. But those cords did not bond together very well. When I gently tugged at the ends of the strands, they quickly and easily slipped away from one another. Isn’t that similar to how life’s struggles can pull husband and wife apart?
But then I tested a “cord of three strands” by braiding a red cord, representing God, in between the two other cords. Wouldn’t you know . . . When I tugged at the ends of the “husband” and “wife” cords, I found they were firmly held together by the red cord that was woven between them. What a beautiful picture of the strength we receive in our marriages when we place God at the center of our relationship!
So, this Valentine’s Day, in addition to the chocolates or roses or whatever romantic gesture you have in mind for your husband, why not pick up some cords at your local craft store and try this little experiment together as a couple? Then commit to placing God at the center of your marriage—because “a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”