I shared in the last devotional that marriage/family government is one of the key building blocks in every society, but it is the very sphere that has been under attack from the onset. It is God’s desire for us to build strong marriages and families. They honor God, build security for each family members, and create healthier societies. The scripture gives us insight on how we can build stronger marriages.
Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1Corinthians 6:18-20
As a believer, God has called us to abstain from fornication and sexual immorality. Sexual sin causes ungodly soulish ties, and it can also lead to out of wedlock pregnancies. Sex outside of marriage causes pollution in the relationship and people may marry each other or break up for wrong reasons. The children born in these situations may experience the lack of commitment of one or both parents in their lives.
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14
We are called to be equally yoked. Marrying an unbeliever is against God’s will and makes the marriage much harder. Couples should take their time to get to know each other spiritually. Many claim to be a Christian but do not have a living relationship with the Lord. If submitting to a man is difficult for a woman, it becomes much harder to submit to him if he is not a believer!
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33
In the line of priorities, the Lord should always come first, and then our spouse is next in the line of priorities. Our mate is not supposed to take the place of our relationship with the Lord. At the same time, our career, ministry, or children should not be more important than our marriage. Improper priorities lead to an insidious and gradual breakdown of marriage that couples don’t notice until something becomes the last straw that breaks the marriage.
For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.Ephesians 5:23
God has called the husband and wife to love and respect each other, but God specifically has determined that man to be the head of his household. Marriage/family is a God ordained from of government, and the Lord has assigned the husband to govern it. Sometimes women want to take the man’s place because a man is passive, or he is not doing his part to lead. The problem is that the more the woman takes the place of her husband, the more the husband will shrink back from his role. This causes even greater frustration for the woman.
God uses marriage as an instrument to shape us. However, shaping is not always pleasant but painful. This is where marriages go through turmoil, and sometimes couples don’t make it. The key to a healthy marriage is having the right perspective between God’s part, our part, and our mate’s part. We have the most control on our part. However, if a spouse feels that she/he is always the one who has to change to make the marriage work, then it may be necessary for the couple to seek help from a Godly counselor. Please don’t to worry about what others would think of your marriage but give your marriage a fighting chance!
God is in the business of restoring marriages. If there are areas that we have failed in the past, we should repent. If there is room for improvement on our part, we can ask the Lord to help us to do it His way! If both individuals are willing to do marriage God’s way, there is a greater chance of success for marriages in the church. This gives us the permission to have a voice in the society and help others with their marriages.
The stability of marriage government also provides a greater chance for healthy and secure children who are hopeful about their future. It reduces the risk of children getting into trouble, and it also diminishes the chance of poverty. We can build a stronger society when we build stronger marriages/families.
