What You Must Know Before Marriage.

It's no longer news that the rate of divorce in our society today is somewhat scary. It's also not strange, saying that many married couples are having real issues in marriage today. The saddest part of it all is that the people involved are not only children of the world but Christians are involved too. On a very close analysis, it's been discovered that most of these problems crop up from wrong motive of marriage. 90% of people settle down in marriage with wrong motive about marriage. I was in a program last week and was moved to ask my audience the basic reason anybody would want to get married. I was startled by the responses I got and I always receive such answers whenever I ask the same question when speaking on relationship. People normally give reasons like, to bear children, to ease financial burden, to help mother/father/siblings, to keep the family lineage, etc. The truth is that any house built on false or weak foundation is bound to collapse one day. So also will any marriage established on wrong motive collapse one day.

There’s a basic reason God established the institution of marriage and every other reasons are secondary.  Let us look at Genesis 2:18-24.

¹⁸ And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

¹⁹ And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

²⁰ And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

²¹ And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

²² And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

²³ And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

²⁴ Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

The basic reason God established the institution of marriage is for COMPANIONSHIP. If you cannot find a companion in whoever you want to settle down in marriage with, I will advise you to hold on and think twice. If your primary aim of getting married is to make babies, what if the babies end up not coming as planned, what will happen to the marriage? Of course there will be trouble because the motive of the marriage has been defeated. What if what you had in mind before walking down the aisle was financial freedom and at the end the financial freedom seems not obtainable, what will happen? You want to marry him or her because you believe he or she can help your family and at the end of the day, the possibility of the help isn’t there, what next? You want to keep your family lineage and after wedding, both of you found out that there’s a problem with your or her fertility, what will happen?

Until you have the right motive for marriage, there is bound to be problem(s). The basic reason for marriage is companionship, every other thing is secondary. Do not be distracted. Do not be deceived to avoid running halter-skelter after wedding. If you cannot find a companion in him or her, take a break and have a long thought.

My desire is to see you enjoy your marriage because marriage is a beautiful institution that’s meant to be enjoyed. Get the right motive before you get married.