Tuesday 7 February 2012

Christian marriages may be messy but have a higher chance of success

To mark National Marriage Week which begins today, I am writing on God’s plan for marriage. There is no doubt that the devil is attacking families today, with the number of people getting married in England falling, and the rate of divorce rising!

Marriage is an institution which was ordained by God. God started it. In the beginning he created Adam and Eve. Therefore, for marriage to work, it should be run according to God’s rules as set out in the Bible. If that is the case, then Christian marriages should do better than the marriages of non-Christians. And rightly so! How’s the Family?, a research by the Evangelical Alliance into the lifestyles of Christians reveals that they are happier in their marriages and better at staying married than non-Christians. They are also highly likely to accept outside help and advice to keep their marriages healthy.

The research also shows that Christians are much better at protecting their marriage, with the credit for this going to lifestyle choices commonly associated with Christians.
The typical lifestyle choices of Christians who go on to happy and lengthy marriages are that they marry young (at 25 on average compared to over 30 in the general population), are less likely to have lived together as a couple, and are willing to participate in activities that support and maintain their relationship. Supporting activities are often provided by their own church.

For marriage to work, the following ingredients must be present:

1.      There must be a LEAVING and a CLEAVING. To leave is to abandon and forsake all others. To cleave is to be glued to your spouse and become one flesh.
2.      Although your love may start off as a feeling, once the initial honeymoon period is over, your love becomes a commitment to your spouse. Love is a verb, an action word. You choose to stay with your spouse come what may.
3.      The husband should love his wife to the point of death like Jesus did for the Church, while the wife should submit to her husband as unto Christ.
4.      It must be a life-long relationship between a man and a woman

Let us take a moment to pray for marriages and families during the course of the next one week as we celebrate National Marriage Week.

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