ear Reader, It is good to come your way again today. It is a good day for you! Three weeks ago, I taught on some of the reasons why your marriage must succeed. Last week, I taught on some principles of a successful marriage. This week, I want to show you some of the dangers of lack of success in marriage.
A successful marriage does not just happen; it is made to happen. God has laid down some principles for success in marriage, but failure to follow those principles is what results in failure or lack of success.
What then are the dangers of a bad marriage? What happens when a couple does not succeed in their marriage?
Christian marriage fails, it gives unbelievers room to blaspheme the name of God. The Word of God says: For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written (Romans 2:24). When your unbelieving neighbours hear you and your wife fight and quarrel everyday, call your children all manner of ungodly names, or your children are typical examples of what the Bible refers to as “unruly”, your Christian testimony is actually what is being affected. You cannot witness to them or invite them to church, when they are aware of the situation in your family.
As a man, if you shy away from your covenant responsibilities in the home – such as the provision of basic necessities of life, how do you expect the unbelievers around you to accept your Christian testimony? If a man travels out of town just at the point when his wife is about to put to bed or his children are about to resume at school, making no provisions whatsoever for them, what kind of testimony does he have? These affect his Christian testimony negatively.
It Hinders Answers To Prayers: Disharmony in a Christian home is the fastest way to hinder you from receiving an answer to prayer. Prayer is essentially communication with God. When your home is in disarray, try as you may, your prayer will be hindered. Every Christian needs special relationship with God, by spending time in communing with Him. But when you and your spouse or members of your household are always at loggerheads, not only your relationship with them is affected, your relationship with God is also affected.
Remember that God’s eyes run to and fro the earth (2 Chronicles 16:9). So, God sees you when you are fighting with your spouse, after which you go to church to pray and fellowship. God is not mocked; He cannot be deceived. Don’t deceive yourself. You need to straighten out your relationship with your spouse and members of your household, so that your communication line with God will not be blocked.
Your Giving Life Is Unfruitful: If your marriage fails, it will definitely affect your giving life. The Word of God says: Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift (Matthew 5:23-24). This explains why a lot of Christians give so much, yet receive so little! They quarrel and fight at home, and then bring their gifts to the altar and expect it to be fruitful. Giving is a futile exercise, until there’s sanctity in the home.
God is not in need; even if He were, no human being is qualified to meet His needs! We all depend on Him for sustenance. You must know that your first neighbour is your spouse and members of your household. If you want God to honour your seeds sown, ensure you are at peace with your family. Until that is in place, your giving amounts to nothing.
The Future Of Your Children Is Affected: Family failure and disharmony has a great effect in the future of the children in such homes. This is primarily because for a child, “an ounce of example is worth much more than a ton of preachment”, says a wise man. Whenever you are quarrelling and fighting with your spouse, your children are taking note of it. One day, they will ask you whether you are genuinely born again!
On the other hand, you must also realize that whatever your marriage looks like, could be duplicated in their homes in the future. Would you want your children to be doing what you are doing? That is food for thought!
Can you boldly ask your children to follow you as you follow God? Wouldn’t they miss heaven, if they were to follow your example? God designed marriage and home for success. For this success to become a reality, however, each marriage partner has parts to play. Man is the primary beneficiary of family success, not God. Look at this testimony:
If your marriage succeeds, you are the one to benefit, and if it fails you are the one to suffer. You shall not fail! Don’t let your lack of commitment to the success of your family become a hindrance to your children in the future. Beware! May you leave a Christian legacy for your children; may they remember you for good! You shall succeed in Jesus’ name!
You need God to succeed in your home. Are you born again? If not why not, say this prayer and be born again: Dear Lord Jesus, I come to You today as a sinner. Forgive me of my sin. I believe You died and rose on the third day for my sins. Cleanse me from all my sins. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Make me a child of God today.
Congratulations, you are now born again! I believe that you will begin to experience the reality of the price that Jesus paid for your sins at Calvary. All-round rest and peace are guaranteed you, in Jesus’ Name!
Call or write, and share your testimonies with me through:
E-mail: faithdavid@yahoo.com Tel. No: 08141320204; 07026385437; 07094254102
For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Single With A Difference, Building A Successful Family, and Success In Marriage (Co-Authored with Bishop David Oyedepo).
