Marriage as Designed by the Creator

How easy it is to fall in Love! But how hard it is to stay in till the end! Everybody falls in love. Even a so-called 'fool' falls in love. There are good falls in love as well as bad falls. Lustful and ungodly ways, and all the other ways we have fabricated and labelled "Love" to satisfy our sinful fleshly desires and egos. We call all these feelings "Love", but most of the time, we have no clue what we are talking about.

We easily fall in love, but staying in love and building a strong and healthy home together where God dwells and is honoured is becoming more and more precarious these days. Why? Because we have entangled ourselves with tons of pre-meditative mindsets, ungodly issues, and non-Biblical claims which are ruining marriages and breaking hearts. And the children of God are not exempt.

At the present, lots of marriages are struggling to survive; some have already fallen apart, and others are just hanging on to save face. Many issues are being swept under the rug, issues such as infidelities, pornography, abuses of all forms, and all kinds of unhealthy behaviours. Unfortunately, the home, which should be a haven for families, has now become a boxing showcasing arena, registering untold cruelty, physical, verbal, and emotional abuses.

Having been in the ministry for over 40 years, I have participated in so many marriage ceremonies, be it traditional, religious, or just renewals. I have had the privilege of counselling countless couples of all calibres as well. In my own observations, I have come to realise that many fall in love or enter marriage with lots of preconceived ideas, wrong mindsets, and cultural ideologies which are like brittle bricks. They start a relationship, speak the love language, walk the aisles, take their vows at a church or in a courtroom, and live together without any divine revelation and guidance concerning what marriage truly is in the eyes of the Creator, and the sacrifices involved. But when difficult challenges arise in their relationship, they chase each other around the house like Tom and Jerry (the cat and the mouse) until one gets hurt and leaves, or both rip their once-promising love life apart, leaving lots of casualties behind.

Now, divorces are becoming more and more rampant. Families are being hurt and divided, and the children involved in these relationships are wounded and confused, making them more vulnerable to all the ills this generation is already dealing with.

So, to begin with, it is very important for all of us to reflect on the following questions, because we will come back to them as we progress from Book One into Book Two:

• Where did marriage originate from?
• Are there certain revelations mankind needs to understand and embrace in this sacred union that most of us have no clue of?
• What are the Creator and Officiator's intents and purposes in marriage?
• Why is marriage implanted into the hearts of every human being?
• How must we enter this all-important relationship?
• Did the Creator embed certain secrets in this union He wants His children to know for their own good?
• How do I build a solid, godly relationship and preserve my marriage?
• Are there secrets to maintaining a great relationship?
• What are some obstacles to a healthy relationship, and what must I avoid?
• How does my role in the relationship affect my marriage?
• How do I deal with conflicts and obstacles in my relationship?
• What boundaries must I set to protect my marriage?
• And much more.

It will be encouraging for all married or prospective couples to ponder over the above questions very often. For I believe that when we know and understand the origin and the foundation of what we fell in love for, or are engaged in, or are preparing to enter, we will contract marriage with carefulness and take all the necessary precautions to honour the Originator in our marital lives. I have personally asked myself these questions, wanting...