“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Eph 5:21, NIV2)

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” (Matt 19:5, NIV2)

When we submit ourselves to someone, we truly do our best to honor and respect them. Unfortunately, in our world today, most have a distorted view of submission: “My way or the highway! You better submit to me! I am in charge, and I will do what I want! You have no authority over me!” With such reasoning, is it any wonder so many marriages fall apart? The problem is, marriage has been given to us in order for us to learn what it means to become ‘one’, just as God is One. Without this all-essential unity, marriage becomes dysfunctional.

The same is true in our churches, our jobs or anything else we do. If everybody sets out to solely do their own will, there will never be any harmony. The job will not get done and chaos will result; but worse yet, love will become non-existent…

We can learn so much from dolphins. While in Inverness, Scotland last year, I had the privilege of seeing them in action. I had no idea that there were about 200 bottlenose dolphins in this vicinity–the only dolphins, in fact, that live in the North Sea. They are also the biggest bottlenose dolphins in the world, some reaching 4 meters in length!

As I watched, I saw them capture salmon, but instead of keeping them for by themselves, they would often throw the salmon in the air to be caught by another dolphin. They certainly were not insisting on having their own way. They were thinking of others, and by doing so, they had essentially become ‘one’!

What I didn’t know is that dolphins help injured dolphins by swimming underneath them and nudging them upward. They also help other species. In 1983, at Tokerau Beach, New Zealand, a pod of pilot whales were stranded during an ebb tide. A pod of dolphins swimming nearby noticed that these whales were in distress. They headed for the shallows, putting their own lives at risk, and herded the pilot whales out to sea, saving about 80 whales!

Not only do they save other species, but dolphins are also renowned for saving human lives. In 2004, a man named Rob had taken his daughter and two friends for a swim in the Pacific Ocean. All of a sudden they were surrounded by dolphins. Rob tried to swim away from them but was immediately rushed by two larger dolphins and brought him back into the protective circle. That’s when Rob saw the danger: A white shark, measuring at least 3 metres, was heading straight to them.

The dolphins continued herding the 4 humans, pushing them close to one another by swimming in tight circles around them. Thanks to these dolphins, all four of them were saved. There are numerous other stories like this one of dolphins saving human lives. They certain know what it means to submit to one another!

May we learn from these dolphins and make an effort to save our marriages from the dangers of selfishness. After all, love can only exist when we care for others far more than we care for ourselves!

Would you like to go for a swim?

Rob Chaffart

(To access the entire “Marriage Bliss” devotional series, please click here.)