Thoughts from The Bible

Thoughts from the Bible

Monday, 14 February 2022 13:44

How To Be Happily Married
by Terry Broome

Someone has said, “We can either ‘curse the darkness’ or ‘shed some light.’” Marriage in America is in trouble! Not only is divorce skyrocketing, but the home as a God-designed institution is under attack. From the halls of secular schools – to the halls of congress – to the howls of the feminist movement, the obituary of traditional marriage is being prepared and propagated. If the humanists, abortionists, feminists, and gay rights advocates have their way about it, the Bible definition of what makes a home will be lost forever to mankind.
The current trend of trial marriages, and no-fault divorces may be partly attributed to a vast number of marriages where “holy wedlock” has become “unholy deadlock.” Too often a marriage becomes like railroad tracks. They run side-by-side, but never touch, never share, are not united. There’s no oneness as described in Gen 2:23-25. My expectations may not match hers, or hers may not match mine. Remember, rubber bends, but rigid glass breaks.

A popular book reflects this problem in the title, “How To Be Happy, Though Married.” We have altered that phrase for our thought today to read “How To Be Happily Married,” because we should not seem surprised at all to find that when people will yield to God’s instructions, there can be such a thing as marital bliss. We believe in God’s design for marriage. We believe that marital misery and missed bliss are tools of the devil which destroy far too many otherwise successful lives. It is so important that we caution our children to set high standards, and choose companions carefully. A rule of thumb that I’ve believed in since I was 18 years old is to choose someone who will help you go to heaven.
Consider these suggestions of qualities that help prepare one to be a good companion:

Character: Psalms 24:3-5 “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord, or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessings from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.”
Self-Mastery: Our goal in life to become finer people, and spiritually mature will come through self-mastery. Paul knew the discipline and learned to “buffet his body” (I Corinthians 9:27)
Purity – Psalms 24: 3-5 (above)

Honesty – Eph. 4:25 “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man the truth with his neighbor. Men of character will not indulge in stealing, lying, and cheating that is typical of dishonesty!”
Dependability – 1 Cor. 4:2 “It is required of a steward that a man be found faithful.”

Fairness or Justice: Eph. 6:4 “Provoke not children to wrath….” 1 Pet 3:7 “live considerately with” your wife.
Unselfishness – the willingness to give up one’s own comfort or advantage for the benefit of someone else.
Moral Courage – The courage to do what is right regardless of the consequences.
Meekness – Matt. 5:5 That mellowing quality that blends all the strength and humility into a Christian life.

The author can be reached for comments at 256-574-2489.