THE EVER INCREASING COUPLE
Text: Col. 2:9-10.
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Colossians 1:10-11
The ever increasing thing is something that keeps growing from one level to the other as time passes bye. King Solomon had this to say about himself. So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. 1 Ecclesiastes 2:9-10
What should be increasing between couple?
KNOWING EACH OTHER
What does it mean to know someone?
Some people have described marriage relationship as a black market or an unknown material bought with joy in the market which eventually when you unwrapped the item what you see is what you get and what you get may not be what you desire when purchasing. Therefore the day you unwrapped the item is the day you will start to see, tell, recognise, identify and be acquainted with what you have bought. Some people thought they have purchased a quiet and easy going husband but getting home after the marriage ceremony what they discover in the wrapper was an abusive and lousy man. Some came home grudgingly to unwrap their gift pack but what they found was not expected: they found peace, prosperity and joy.
In every good marriage a person does not start by detesting or rejecting what has been duly purchased by him we must learn how to love and abide with what we have gotten from the marital market. It is the practice in the developed world among the auto marketers when selling an old automobile to write in the sales agreement the following words: this vehicle is bought where it is and how it is.
The first advice to every ever increasing couple therefore is that they should try to get to know each other very well right from the start to the ending. There comes the question to you. How much do you know about your spouse? Do you know what he likes/hates and why? Do you know why he chose to be friend with some kind of people and why? When you know your partner you will be to have a better understanding of each other.
UNDERSTANDING EACH OTHER
What does it mean to understand each other?
It is the ability to understand the hidden factor behind every seemingly abnormality in human behaviour. An understanding person is he/she who has the ability to know how other people are feeling, and can forgive them if they do something wrong. Understanding is only possible after we have known someone in and out. Someone told me why pigs love to enter muddy water and pond. Before then I used to think that a pig is deliberate in being dirty. A vet Doctor then explained that the way God created pig is quite different from other kinds of animal. A pig is in a class of other animals like elephants and rhinoceros who have tick skin and it makes then to have extreme heat in their body. In other to cool off the heat of about 3.6 degrees they need the pond. Another reason for doing this is that the pig uses wallowing to scrape off parasites such as ticks and lice. You may blame the pig and called it a dirty animal because you do not have the understanding how the animal feels
How much understanding do you have about your spouse attitude to eating, to sleeping and to shout out command at people? The bible encourages us: Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men 1 Corinthians 14:20. In most marriages today understanding has been relegated and malice has been promoted to a very high level. Hence we have problems that are difficult to resolve. It is time for all couple to get elevated to the level of men in understanding and stop behaving like babes. Men and women of understanding do not just speak out the words rather they are concern about the implications of what they are to say both for themselves and those who listen to them. The ever increasing understanding among couple shall ultimately lead to peaceful co-existence
PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE
What is peaceful co-existence?
Peaceful co-existence has been defined as competition without war, or a policy of peace between nations of widely differing political systems and ideologies, especially between Communist and non-Capitalist nations. My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee Proverbs 3:1-2.
In marriage peaceful co-existence is the ability to co-habit with someone that you assumed is not equal with you, whether in higher and lower level. There so many non- equilibrium level in marital relations. There are educational inequalities; there are financial and social inequalities as well as in comprehension of issues.
To be peaceful co-existing couple is to be non-violent even when you have the ability and the potential to do so. There are too kinds of violence in the homes: one, the violence of the wrestling usually employed by men and the second is the violence of the tongue usually employed by women. Violence should not be limited to and judged by fighting or beating up of someone alone it should be extended to those who instigated violence by what they pronounce from their mouth and those who use their eyes to communicate evil.
To be peaceful co-existing couple is to know and to employed diplomacy in dealing with members of the family. A sense of diplomacy make you to say a hard thing in a very simple way, it makes you to correct someone without him/her having a feeling of shame and of a failure and it makes your listeners to appreciate you as a better person.
Peaceful co-existence diplomacy gives strength to your quietness. It is not everything that is worth your comments, and corrections. This is what the Bible say about being quiet: For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved;
in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. Isaiah 30:15. Don’t always talk you and you will be respected, don’t always complain and they will be stupid to think that you do not know anything. It is not what they think about you that matters it is what you know that gives you joy. I heard this from someone: the reason why the Egyptian gods are respected is because they have mouth and they cannot talk. There is no doubt about it that where there is peace there will be an appreciable progress.
PROGRESS IN ALL RAMIFICATIONS
What is progress?
Progress is the forward or onward movement towards a destination. It is a development towards an improved or more advanced condition. One of the major reasons for marriage is to have a better future and to move away from the state of loneliness to togetherness. And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him Genesis 2:18. You are not making progress if all this year you have been married and you are still lonely and unhappy. Happiness should be one of the rewards of marriage.
You are not making progress if the combination of your finances, your knowledge and power is not bringing the expected gain. Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour Ecclesiastes 4:9. An ever increasing couple makes progress daily in the marital live. This progress will usually attract others who take your life to be a model.
BECOMING A MODEL FOR OTHERS.
What is a model?
A model is a person or thing considered as a standard of excellence to be imitated. 7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, 8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. Titus 2:7-8. There is a proverb among the Yoruba people of the South-western Nigeria which says; he who will give you a new dress must show it by what he is putting on.
The score card of the ever increasing Christian couple is this: are there people who love your marriage and prays that theirs will be like yours? Has anyone come to you for counselling on marital matters because they can see that you are good in certain areas of it? If not there might be some correction to be made.
An ever increasing couple that have not become a shining example to other cannot be said to have made any major progress.
Thank you and May God bless you all.
