Protecting Marriage, Part 1

In a day when marriage is attacked on every front I would like to propose a few suggestions for us to help protect the institution of marriage. Not institution like a prison, but institution like the relationship that God has given us as the most vital part of society.

Older women should be teaching these principles to the younger. I had the shocking experience of having to write sown my age recently. 40 years old!! Read Titus 2:3-5 When women practice Titus 2 marriages will prosper. We who are getting older have a responsibility to set a godly example for the younger women. Married or not we can use scripture to be teaching women how to build their own marriages in a way that would be pleasing to God. I want to encourage those of you with years behind you to teach the younger ones. And I’d like to give just a few practical tidbits that I think can transform any marriage.

To begin any marriage you must Leave and Cleave – Read Genesis 2:24 When Ray and I got married I cried like a baby on our wedding day because I was leaving my home. Little did I know that would be a wonderful blessing for our marriage. We moved to New Orleans in August and didn’t come home to Georgia until Christmas. We had no phone or cable; we had nothing but each other. Often, we young women bring so much of our families into marriage that our husbands can not live up to it. Ladies, your husband will never be your dad. Those of you with a great example of an earthly father only see him as he is after being married for many years. He has had a lot of practice being a good husband. Your husband deserves the same amount of time to learn about you. He hasn’t learned all of your intricacies. Give him time to figure this marriage thing out without comparing him to anyone else. If you’ve been married for years and your husband still doesn’t measure up, then stop measuring him. Pray for him and you be who you should be. God gave him to you.

You probably will not go in to marriage having the same home and financial lifestyle you left. You and your husband should grow together, and away from your family. I’m not advocating forgetting your family and not honoring your parents, just start a new family very intentionally. Side note for parents of married children; don’t make it so easy for your children to run away from a marriage by welcoming them back into your home.

More to come....