This web site is designed to inspire you to grow in faith and consequently in your relationship with Jesus Christ. You will have access to the monthly prayer newsletters, other faith-building materials and the opportunity to share your prayer needs with someone who cares and will lovingly pray for you.
|
 God’s Recipe for Matrimonial Success – Cleave (Genesis 2:24-25)
“..And be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
 The primary objective in marriage is the unity of the spouses. The strength and relevance of marriage lies in its team spirit. So important is this that the scriptures repeatedly emphasize the power in unity. For example, in Ecclesiastes 4:11-12, it states, “…if two lie together, they have heat: how can one be warm alone...a three-fold cord is not easily broken.” On the other hand, in the absence of unity, the spouses become stumbling blocks to each other. Inadvertently, strife ensues, and dysfunction reigns in the marriage. Consequently, these events weaken the marriage, and render the spouses vulnerable to deleterious influences. This situation is aggravated by the portrayal of spousal independence as a virtue in our society. On the contrary, the scriptures teach that spouses should be interdependent (see Galatians 6:2).
The unity that exalts a marriage is not coerced. In this situation, one spouse dominates the other, and the oppressed spouse has little or no input into the relationship. Unity should also not be apostate in nature, where both spouses connive to do wrong as did, Ahab and Jezebel (I Kings 21) and Ananias and Saphira (Acts 5:1-10). True unity is complementary in that the good qualities of both spouses are nurtured and utilized in the marriage. Thus, the final output is a beautiful blend of strengths that supersedes their individual abilities.
This kind of unity is inspired by the Holy Spirit (see Philippians 2:1-2), and is not usually achieved on the wedding night. To achieve this, the spouses need to recognize unity as the lifeline of their relationship (see Psalms 133:1-3). Then, they should proactively seek to gain and maintain oneness. Unity should be sought after in all dimensions. First, spiritual oneness is achieved by having the same beliefs (e.g. being born again Christians). The spouses should then read the Bible and pray regularly. They should also fellowship with other believers. These activities will foster the fruits of the Spirit, including love, peace, joy, meekness, kindness, faith, self-control, and perseverance, all of which work to cement the marriage. Financially, they should make decisions jointly, including merging their assets and liabilities. Physically, they should live together, and have regular physical intimacy including intercourse (I Corinthians 7:1-5). Finally, the spouses should stay emotionally connected on a daily basis by lovingly sharing their thoughts and feelings about each other, and their experiences. Bear in mind that there is nothing wrong with a good fight---a fight that the union wins.
“True unity is Godly, and free. It is born of intimacy that rides on the wheels of effective communication.” |
|
|
"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23-24)
|
© 2005 Mfon Cyrus-David - All rights Reserved - May be used without further permission for free evangelistic purposes only.
|
|
|
|
