Genesis 2:24: “For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife. And they will become one flesh.” Even in the first marriage where there were no parents, God made clear what the priorities of marriage are.

Just recently, I counseled a couple who shortly after marriage, made the decision that the man would work for his father. They both communicated to me in counseling that his heart was more focused on pleasing his father than his wife and this behavior went on for many years. In my more than thirty years of counseling, I’ve heard wives complain about their husband’s loyalty to a father, mother or siblings over them. I’ve also heard from husbands who’ve felt their wife was more committed to her parents or family than to him.

To be faithful and forsake all others includes prioritizing your family of origin, including your parents, over your spouse. Of course, you should have a loving relationship with these people but make sure to evaluate the priority of these relationships and how these priorities affect your marriage. It needs to be said that forsaking all these others is not just a problem among women. Both spouses struggle here regularly