Some have felt that any man in the Church could marry any woman in the Church and be happy. Is this true?

Consider for a moment Jacob, Leah and Rachel. All three were part of the same covenant community that God was working with. But Jacob was defrauded by Uncle Nahor, and woke up on the morning after wedding night alongside the woman he didn't love. ("Woops. Who are you?") He loved Rachel, we are told, but he didn't love Leah (Genesis 29:16-18).

Now fast-forward to the twentieth century, and to Church of God marriages. Many have been blessed of God to find someone in the Church with whom they have had wonderful, happy and successful marriages. Like faith was (and is) a necessary condition for compatibility, and is so emphasized in the Bible (1 Corinthians 7:39; 2 Corinthians 6:14).

But, no, it isn't sufficient. Compatibility includes all elements of what makes a human being: education, experience, cultural background, nationality, interests, and appearance.
It isn't enough to share only the same faith; compatibility goes much deeper than that.

Many single members of the Church can attest to this; they have felt the pain of meeting someone, someone in the Church, being attracted initially to that person, and pushing aside the "still, small voice" that says no, it isn't right. It's best to heed that still, small voice earlier rather than later.

We're truly a "little flock" these days, and sadly a fragmented one, too. But it's much better to wait on God to provide someone who's our true "soul-mate" than to ride rough-shod over lack of compatibility.

If God has the hairs on our heads numbered, He is quite capable of providing that "soul-mate" we pray for-with the same faith, and compatibility brought together by the greatest Matchmaker any single Christian could have.

--Ralph Levy