This Thing Called Marriage

God may bless you with a spouse, but He expects you to constantly work at being happy with that spouse.

Anyone who has been married for more than a week knows there are times when both spouses will need some time away from each other. This is normal, and is not something either one should fear or mistrust the other over. When one needs a break from the other, or some breathing room away from the other, they should not rely on a night out with the friends, or a quick trip to the local bar.

We are to avoid places of temptation like the plague, because temptation starts with the eyes and quickly falls into the mind when we think about it, and then drops straight down into the heart where we act on it.

The pastor asked the young boy if he were entertaining sin and the boy replied, “No sir, but it sure is entertaining me!”

Stay away from places where temptation might lurk. Instead, go to the store or for a short drive. And always tell your spouse where you will be before you go, especially if you need some time alone during or following a disagreement! You should view your marriage, not only as a contract you entered into with your spouse, but a holy covenant you entered into with God Almighty. And you should do everything in your power to keep that covenant holy.

It has been said that if either one of you find yourself in even a flirtatious situation that you cannot totally stop, it is more important to quit your jobs and move away from the area than it is to let it continue and even take a chance on having it ruin your marriage.

Communicating is an all-important part of your marriage relationship, too. That is not just talking but listening as well. And when we listen, pay attention to the smallest of details. In a marriage seminar, the instructor asked one man if he knew what his wife’s favorite flower was. He said, “Pillsbury.” Listen to the other as if your life depended on it …. because with answers like that, it just might!

We certainly do not have time to have a full-fledged marriage relationship seminar here today, but I wanted to at least touch on some of the more important parts of being married. Pre-marital counselors report that 66% of those they counsel say that children are the most important thing to discuss before marriage, followed by finances, and then way down on the list is religion.

I disagree. I think your beliefs are the most important thing you could ever discuss before entering into a marriage. Everything else will pretty well find a way to fit if the two of you are believers in Jesus Christ.

In closing, let me ask you a question. What would you do if you were sitting in your recliner and happened to see a rat running down the hallway? I don’t think any of you would just ignore it and go back reading the paper or watching TV. I firmly believe that everyone in here would jump up in pure panic and haste to grab something you could use to kill the unwelcomed rat. That is just how much we value the sanctity of our homes.

Are you aware that if we are not focused on living a Godly life, Satan can send in his demonic influences into our homes? They are as despicable as those rats, and just as unhealthy. They can influence your children and wreck your marriages. That is why we are called to be ever-vigilant in our duties as protectors of ourselves and our homes.