Making a Marriage Work
"And the Lord God said, It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him an help-meet for him" Genesis 2:18
" And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." Genesis 2: 21-24
Marriage began by God, and is intended to be or last for the life of the couple (persons) involved. Marriage is a covenant between two people, a man and a woman to live together as husband and wife. God and those invited are their witnesses to the covenant (commitment) made. It is a process that blends and binds two people together as one, each with their own distinct identity and personality; one new life existing in two people.
The ideal marriage occurs when both parties concentrate on meeting each others needs. When both husband and wife understand each other and begin to respond to one another accordingly, their relationship can and will become what they dreamed of and what God intended for it to be.
You cannot change a person (your spouse). The desire must be on his or her part, with help from God. Each person has to realize that God has to be honored and be in the midst of their marriage in order for it (marriage) to work as it should.
Building a strong and happy marriage doesn't just happen. Marriage is built on principles essential to the development of any warm and loving relationship, which is the Word of God. Each person must understand his/her mate if they want a long, loving, and happy marriage.
Today, we will discuss principles that will motivate you and your mate to change, listen, and become more sensitive to each other's needs. But remember that change will not occur overnight. It will take hard work, prayer, and consistency everyday, every month, and every year to reach the ultimate goal.
Marriage should consist of the following:
Love - Represent the relationship between Christ and the Church, therefore it must be Agape love.
Honor- Which to respect highly; to have regards for. to treat with preference and courtesy (I Peter 3:7)
Cherish- To hold dear to; to take good care of; to protect; to stick to the idea of.
Obedience- to carry out the orders of another; to be submissive to.
Plight thee my troth- to pledge to be faithful and truthful in everything.
Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the Church. (Ephesians 5:25)
Wives are to be submissive to their own husband. (Ephesians 5:22)
The husband is the head of the wife or the home. (Ephesians 5:23)
Each member (man/woman) of the marriage have a special role to play if the marriage is to be successful.
You are to be faithful until death.( you/your mate must die before the other can marry again).
Remember the promise you made to Your Mate and God that you would be faithful for better or worse, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer until death do you part. Did you mean what you said during the ceremony? If not, too late now . You have to stick with it, pray for it, and make it work.
If you have any questions or seek spiritual advice about marriage please contact Elder Brockington at his office (843) 464-2486, or via email at pastor@progressivechurchmullins.org, Be blessed