Not Easily Broken

“Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not easily broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12)

The above passage is about the strength of union.

And union is altogether different than unity.

Unity means agreeing together.  But union means joined together.

Taking the wisdom passage from Ecclesiastes 4:12 and applying the principle of union in marriage, let's start with two loose pieces of cord.

Both pieces of cord on their own have a certain degree of strength, but put to the test, if one gets cut or frayed, it can easily break. Two are indeed stronger than one. But how do you bind two strands of cord together?

Try as you might, you can twist two strands of cord together, but they are not bound, and soon, they will completely unravel. There is no union as they are not properly joined or braided.

Only three cords can be properly braided together, where they are in union. They are essentially joined together as One. Together, they are exponentially stronger, and are not easily broken.

Applying that same principle to husband and wife, specifically to my own marriage, in the beginning, my wife and I did not know God. We were just two loose yarns. And though we loved each other, because we were not properly joined together, we came unraveled more times than I can count. We would try to fix our problems, but without the Third Cord to properly braid us together, we were unraveling past the breaking point. Countless breakups. Multiple separations. Two divorce proceedings. Infidelity. Spite. Malice. Bitterness. Unforgiveness. Shame. Hopelessness.

The only reason we are still married, and happily I might add, after almost 29 years, is we met the Third Cord; the Lord Jesus Christ.

When you accept God's free offer of eternal salvation, and confess your sins and invite Jesus Christ into your heart to forgive you and be your Savior, you are spiritually Born Again.When my wife and I did this, we were no longer two loose yarns, hopelessly doomed to a future of perpetual unraveling.

Christ bound us together with Himself. We were now "One." We were, and still are the threefold cord that is not easily broken.

“So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” (Ephesians 5:28-31)

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.