Major Factors That Make Marriage Work
Marriage is a relationship and it takes the both individuals in it to make it work. If a blissful and romantic goal is your dream each party in marriage must take note and work on the following relationship types because they play a great role in the success of their family.
- RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase Job 8:6-7. You must build a solid relationship with God for your marriage to work. If you cannot relate with God on a daily basis, you cannot relate well with your spouse. God is the inventor of marriage; he has the master plan on how to make it work. He has the connecting rod that links you with your spouse. So, if you cannot connect with God, you may never connect with your spouse. To build a relationship with God in your marriage, do these:
- Love God. If you don’t love God, you may never know how to love your spouse. Your love for your spouse is a reflection of your love for God. If you love God, you will live to please him by abstaining from all unrighteousness like: lying, adultery, malice, unforgiving tendencies, vengeance, selfishness and so on. Loving God will make you study the Bible, pray and live in peace with your spouse.
- Serve God. This is not negotiable. Serve God personally and together as a couple. Spend time and resources doing this. Serving God wholeheartedly will make him to be committed to your marriage. Don’t be too busy to serve God.
- Be intimate with God. Intimacy with God requires consistency in prayer, Bible study and worship. This should be a daily affair. And it requires sound discipline and dedication, the same factors needed to build intimacy with your spouse.
- Let there be a dedicated altar. The family altar is a place where you can alter the plan of the devil concerning your home. Activities there should not be too long; it is not a place for a long sermon. Through it, you can teach your children how to pray and study the word of God. Encourage every member of your family to be part of it. Consistency is the rule in having a successful family altar.
- Give time to praise God in your house. God must be regularly praised in your home. Thank him for everything in your family. Thank him for your health, house rents, pregnancy and delivery, children’s school fees, food, transport and so on. Nothing should be too small to thank the Lord for. If you want God to step into your marriage, you must close the book of lamentation and wear the garment of praise.
- RELATIONSHIP WITH YOURSELF
Your relationship with yourself demands that you strongly and positively develop the following aspects of yourself:
- Character. Your character plays a great role not only in your relationship with your spouse but also in other relationships you may have with people outside your home. Character marks your personality and it is something that can only be consciously developed. Be homely, caring, teachable, persevering, friendly, forgiving, fashionable, hardworking and self-controlling. Besides, you must develop positive communication skills; embrace the willingness to express appreciation generously, strive for sexual fidelity, and be hospitable among others. Run as from terror from adultery, laziness, violence, malice, moodiness, prayerlessness, oversleeping, greediness, perfectionist tendency, anger, night crawling and so on. Character is marriage, marriage is character.
- Thinking. Work on your thoughts towards your spouse. They must be positive at all times. For instance, think of what to do to make your spouse happy every day. That excludes negative thoughts because what you think determines your actions.
- Build your belief only on what the Bible says about marriage and not what people or traditional says.
- You need a sound health to build a sound marriage. Never neglect your health. Care for your body; don’t wait for sickness to strike before you attend to your body. Eat right, avoid junks; eat fruits. Exercise your body very well and rest.
- Self-esteem. Believe what God can do through you. Believe in yourself and your spouse. Never look down on yourself or spouse.
