ARE YOU TRULY READY FOR A GODLY MARRIAGE?

ARE YOU TRULY READY FOR A GODLY MARRIAGE?

This question is critical and destiny defining. If you think you are ready for marriage, then ask yourself, Is it God's version of marriage or the world's version(The common)? Your response to the above question will determine if this article would bless you at all and affect your experience eventually.

But I strongly know you truly want fulfilment and peace in your marriage and sincerely this is God's intention for you. 

Everyone seems to be going somewhere but not everyone actually is threading the right path. Definitely, the path you thread determines your destination, if you are sincerely willing to walk on the right path and not follow the CROWD, your experience would be different from that of the crowd. This path is not the path we are going to discover in the future or the path we just discovered, it is a path that is Ancient but ever relevant, it is walking in the wisdom of God. The way to experiencing the perfect and beautiful pattern of marriage God designs can not be circumvented, it's solely through the Lordship of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 1 Corinthians 1:23-24 (KJV)  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Seriously, I'm not going to be saying anything new in this article, I don't even want to ever say anything new but always echo the wisdom of God as revealed in the scriptures. I trust God would be striking some critical issue as regards this subject that the present trend is making blurry or even distorting as you read on.

Having a godly marriage is not just wishful thinking or desire, it is a deliberate decision to embrace God's wisdom and renounce yours. Absolute submission to the Lordship of Christ determines the success of every marriage. Count the cost. Luke14:28-33.
Now let's see the biblical definition of marriage.

 According to Genesis 1:27-28 (KJV)  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.'

 Marriage is the first institution designed by God, it is designed to be a union of two people who are in his image(have encountered Christ) for procreation to create a family that fulfils his intentions here on earth.
Note: The male is only a part of a whole man and the female is but the other concluding part of the man. The male of man and the female of man when joined together is what makes the complete man God had in mind. (No more two, page106&107 by Bro Gbile Akanni)
The default setting for marriage is bad marriage because man fell. But praise God everything is restored and redeemed in Christ.

Therefore, to prepare for a good marriage, you must first ensure your life is hidden in God through Christ Jesus. Col3:3. Then understanding the intention of God for this institution is very crucial, but before this can be achieved, the heart must be right, and then the right knowledge would be obtained which will lead to the right practice.

  A good marriage is a product of solid preparation, and in this article, I would be discussing three main preparations which are: character, right knowledge and faith preparation. What you don't prepare for will confuse you when you get there, it is the preparation that determines your experience. People prepare for everything, some spend years in institution trying to become a particular personality in a field but not for marriage, some even prepare for events that would hold in just a day and fizzle out with time but the devil as successfully deceive many to take marriage with levity because of his agenda to distort God's vision and purpose for families. When it comes to marriage, they think all they have to do is just find a partner and match to the altar and be joined together. You don't prepare in marriage, you prepare for marriage.

There is no accidental success in marriage, you don't learn to shoot a gun on the battlefield if you do you either get wounded or lose your life. If you want to enjoy fulfilment in marriage, then take time to prepare for it. There is no better time to prepare than now that you are not married. It is also worthy of note that the elaborateness of your wedding does not determine the success of your marriage, the success is a result of your preparation.
Another dangerous case is those who are aware of the need to prepare but their preparations are not made in the right direction. They prepare for marriage by accumulating wealth, buying gadgets and adjusting to fashion trends. Though some of those are important but should not be a top priority. It is good to note that in marriage the social status doesn't count anymore but the character: your response to life and situations. Wisdom does not respond to societal status, beauty, stature and wealth, it only responds to the fear of God.

  Though it is essential to maintain a good look and work hard to get things you will need for your marriage, the greatest and most important preparation is character preparation. A good character is simply a Christ-like character. This is simply striving to conform to Christ in our relationship with others, not just the person we are engaged with or intend to be engaged to.
Good News Translation Proverbs 31:30 Charm is deceptive and beauty disappears, but a woman who honours the Lord should be praised.

Rev12:9 NIV: The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth and his angels with him.

  Character preparation is very crucial because it affects the choice of who to marry. The key to marrying a good person is that you should first become good yourself. Also, remember life is designed to give back to people in the same measure they have given. Luke6:37-38. Since what you give determines what you receive, you need a good character to enjoy a good marriage. It is also good to note that the two parties in a marital relationship are not without flaws and weaknesses but they must possess a character striving toward being Christ-like. The beginning and end of a good character is the fear of the Lord. Prov16:6.

Your fear for God is revealed when his pleasure is the reason you do or do not do something. Many people will not be involved in some acts not because pleasing God is their motivation but because of the fear of being caught. As someone preparing for a good marriage, you must come to a place in which you agree with Apostle Paul's statement in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (KJV)  For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Also, faith preparation is so essential. Faith is the only currency in the kingdom, faith is based on finding out what God has provided and taking possession of them, which means faith is possessing what is already yours. Christ has bought for you every good thing including marriage, but fear keeps some from marrying and it has pushed some to make the wrong choice of a marriage partner. To get over fear you need the word of God. Col3:16. Don't allow your present circumstance to lead you, allow faith. Also, note that pride destroys faith. John5:44.

 Beauty does not make a good marriage nor wealth does. But the fear of God. Remember God predict a man's future not by what he has now but by his character. See from the eyes of faith.
And lastly one type of preparation is knowledge preparation. This is knowing the man, woman and their roles according to God's perspective not according to humanist ideology.

Knowing that both men and women are equal in Christ and before God but they are different in roles. Without the right knowledge, it doesn't matter your desire there can't be a right practice. Even godly parenting. You should have noticed how the devil and his ministers are trying so hard to re-engineer the family to deviate from the biblical pattern. Get children out of the control of parents, reverse family leadership and gender roles. Beware! Col2:8(NIV): See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

  Conclusively, I encourage you to take a good step today, renounce every formal habit of dishonesty, hypocrisy, deceit and impatience, discard every knowledge that does not glorify Christ and allow faith to lead you. Make a straight path for your feet and the Lord will fight for you and give you a spouse that truly compliments you. As you begin to embrace the godly character, and knowledge and walk in faith, it is certain that you will naturally flow into other preparations needed for a good marriage. This is because God predicts someone's future based on his/her character. Psalm37:37. And through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you will at all times find yourself at the centre of God's will, bringing pleasure to him all the time. Your marriage will honour God in Jesus' name.. Amen.

Written by: Peter Olorunfemi. O

References: Pastor Ifiok Ukobo.
                       Bishop David Oyedepo.
                        Pastor Gbile Akanni.