The following is written for everybody. Whether you are married or planning on getting married or a single looking for Mr. or Ms. Right., whether you are male or female. Please consider it well.
Marriage – What is it? Who ordained it?
Marriage is more than two people joining together to say “I Do”
Marriage involves more than romance, sex, any physical pleasure or even companionship.
There are billions of people on this earth, yet we choose that one person to spend the rest of our lives with. Or, was the person chosen for us?
Marriage is the voice of a being speaking from within you saying…
“I desire you to be a witness to this life as it unfolds
I desire you to be a guardian to this life as it unfolds
I desire to depend on you and to count on you that you’ll be my witness to this life.
For all things great and for all things not so great, I desire you to be a witness and a guide to this life.
When this life is great, I desire you to witness it, so you can cheer it on and share in it, and when this life
is not so great, to encourage it to be better.”
A commitment, that’s what marriage is. To witness each other’s life as it unfolds.
How can we then accomplish this God-given assignment?
This job, this position of honor, can only be filled through “true commitment” and true commitment comes from deep within the heart.
It takes God’s love to commit; it takes true unwavering love of God to truly commit.
Aaah! Marriage is not romance, it is more than that, it is true love that lies deeply within the heart.
It is true love that gently speaks from deeply within the heart.
True marriage is pure love and pure love can only be found in God.
Marriage is God, the one with the small still voice that says…….
“Will you be a witness to this life as it unfolds? Will you be a guide to this life on this journey? I will help you along the way; I will never leave you nor forsake you. I will be your strength and I will be with you even unto the end of time.”
YES, Marriage is GOD gently speaking from deep within the heart.
What an interesting insight into marriage. Love is a decision and a commitment.
ReplyDelete@Blimey: Thanks. That's an awesome observation. "Love is a decision..." Yes. Once we decide to truly love, we have decided to accept God in our hearts for God is Love.
ReplyDeleteJust left another blog site that spoke of Marriage. YOu are right...marriage is more than romance. To make it work, it takes lots of hard work and an understanding of commitment, regardless of the tides of life. I wish more people understood this so we'll have less divorce rates.
ReplyDeleteThis piece is a master piece. Wow, you certainly have a way with words and describing God's ideal for marriage. Thanks for sharing this and I will like to post this on my blog if you dont mind. Permission plsssss........
ReplyDelete@ Lara Daniels: Your comment is right on point. Marriage takes work and a total understanding of what commitment is. People opt for the good tides of life, but run when the tide changes. I pray that God will help us understand. You are highly appreciated
ReplyDelete@Buky:
ReplyDeleteHow can I say no to my #1 fan. Please help spread the word. You are the best.
U know relationships, marriages come and go but if the foundation is based on pure love when it ends or stays on course this is how it should be a blueprint for pure love (nice)we should be a witness to each other no matter the occasion.
ReplyDelete@Rosalinda: If the relationship is based on solid foundation that is Jesus Christ, the marriage will not come and go, it will stay, sometimes it's our pride that gets in the way of letting the marriage stay.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the observation.
My new personal revelation is: I LOVE you because I LOVE you. Not when you, if you, while you. Simply because I LOVE you. Recently I was with a friend that made a judgment about another friend because at times she twitches. My friend began using words like disturbing or odd. I immediately chimed in and said I noticed that when I first met her now that I know and LOVE her I don't see it. Eventually, they became good friends and she never mentioned it again. We ALL would have better, deeper more meaningful relationships (in my opinion) if we simply LOVE as HE LOVES. While your emphasis here is marriage.
ReplyDelete@Jacqui:Yes, you are 100% right. True love never demands for another person to love back. When we love, it is not because we are guaranteed that we will be loved back. After all, Jesus, because of his love, died for the whole world, but not eveybody loves Jesus back. You are loving the right way Jacqui. I applaud you for that.
ReplyDeleteI thank God for having you in our midst.Well done omo oni gan gan.
ReplyDelete@Faderin: My blood, I am also proud that we are family. Jesus is Lord always. Love you.
ReplyDeleteLove is a decision you make with God's help to love no matter what, to be besides the other no matter what to accept all the failings and enjoy the great time...NO MATTER WHAT!!
ReplyDelete@Sister Amber, I have paid attention to you and found you as a voice of reason, no wonder I enjoy reading your comments and your love of Christ impresses me the most as others are here. I am glad to know you.
ReplyDeleteThank God U are back on. Awesome.
ReplyDelete@Dhikra, Lanre my baby...You know you are my love sweetie. How can daddy forget his daughter. Forgive me if I made you feel so. Just giving you your space since you are a wife and mom now :-) How is Ade and the baby? Hope you are all doing awesomely. The Lord is your strength. I know you'll take the posting to heart. I promise you, your husband will cherish you. Miss you and love you. Say hello to Ade for me.
ReplyDeleteGodly definition of marriage that can only exist between one man and one woman with vows taken before one God in the name of Jesus, poetically scripted.
ReplyDelete@Papa Lonnie. I always cherish your wise comments. They are the wisdom of the ages coming from the throne room. Love you.
ReplyDeleteThanx bro for the beautiful interpretation of the word" Marriage". Yes one needs to be filled with the true love of God to really commit. Blessings!
ReplyDelete@Brother Daniel, you are like King Solomon in terms of wisdom, the Lord had really bestowed upon you so much words of wisdom. I always look forward to reading your pieces. They are life changing. One can actually hear the thoughts and voice of God in your writing when one listen attentively. It's a great honor for me to know you. I cherish and love you much.
ReplyDeleteYou have greatly blessed & enlightened us, my Brother & Sake. May the Holy Spirit, The Power of The Trinity; ceaselessly endow you with access to the depth of the mystery of God's Kingdom, for which you are a Loyal Ambassador, through Christ Jesus. Amen. Cheers.
ReplyDelete@My dear Sister Oluwatoyin, Wow! You are an awesome friend and sister. It's an honor to have you as my sister. The Lord will continue to bless you, increase you and favor you all the days of your life.
ReplyDelete@Joshua, as usual U have left me speechless my dearest oracle of God! I thank Jehovah for blessing U with so much wisdom. U are incredibly amazing & I'm blessed beyond words to have U in my life. I treasure your friendship & my prayer for ...U is that U will continue to grow from strength to strength IJN! May ALL your days be filled with peace, love, happiness, good health, & God's divine blessings! May U my dearest MOG, continue to abide, under the shadow of the almighty! Thank U once again for simply being U. It is well with U & yours brother. Have an extraordinary year!!!
ReplyDelete@Sister Gerty, What can I say? Every prayer you have prayed for me, I have seen the effect of it. Truly, your effective prayers for me are availing much. Love you dearest Sister. Always looking forward to hear your comments AND Prayer. :-) Words cannot decribe my heartfelt thanks and prayer for you, but the Lord that sees the heart knows and he will reveal those to you.
ReplyDelete@ALL: I am truly humbled and grateful for all your comments here. Any word of wisdom any man may have comes ONLY from the Blessed Holy Spirit. No man can claim that he has anything, except it has been given to him and even at that, he must be cognizant of the fact that he knows nothing, have nothing and is nothing except the Lord ordained it so. Without HIM, we can do NOTHING. The comments and prayers on this post has really opened my eyes to see the grace of God upon all of us and made me realize even more than ever that I need Jesus more now than I have ever needed him.
ReplyDeleteI treasure all of you, my friends. You are all my brothers and sisters and I am glad you are all in my life.
"Any word of wisdom any man may have comes ONLY from the Blessed Holy Spirit. No man can claim that he has anything, except it has been given to him and even at that, he must be cognizant of the fact that he knows nothing, have nothing and is nothing except the Lord ordained it so. Without HIM, we can do NOTHING."
ReplyDeleteOh if only we, especially Christian leaders can keep these words of wisdom in remembrance, lest we be boastful of that which the Lord Himself has imparted in us, we would remain ever so humble. I will endeavor to enthrone these words from the throne in my soul always. Thankyou broher Joshua for being the voice of God.
Thanks my dear Daddy Lonnie. I love you always. The Spirit of Truth will always guide us and help us not to fall into the temptation of vain glory. God be glorified for ever in Jesus Name. AMEN.
ReplyDeleteI am privileged and full of gratitude, my Brother & Name Sake, Bless your thoughtful heart. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteYou have well spoken sir!
ReplyDeleteWell said bro.
ReplyDeleteBeeni sir
ReplyDeleteHey, I just came across your blog by doing a bit of blog-surfing, and I'm glad I did! I've added myself as your newest follower, and I hope you'll check out my Christian devotional site as well: www.nocondemnation81.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteHave a blessed day!
In Christ,
Dakota
This is very true but unfortunately most lose sight of the truth in the rush to please society.
ReplyDeleteHello Myne. Thanks for your comment. I pray that people will begin to see the truth as it has always been.
ReplyDeleteHello Dakota:
ReplyDeleteI am also glad you found this blog. Nice to have you here. I will check your blog out. Have a nice day. Thanks again
This was reposted to my email by buckyville... Yep, I agree with the article and comments.. I totally agree Love is a decision, once one has made a mental, emotional, physical, spiritual etc decision to love someone can pretty much stay the same.(I guess when we see some couples we might be like why, how, after all, etc one can never understand how, why, cos the bond is strong).
ReplyDeleteIt takes God though, God is love.. if you dont love God u will love in the way of the world(the ways of the world is full of evil). However, if you love God, you will love in the way God loves.. which means everything that 1st Cor 13 says and more...
Beside, U will do it not through ur strength but through the abundant grace of the Lord upon both lives... No one said anything in this life is easy including studying, marriage, raising kids, working, etc. thats how the world has been since the day God found Adam hiding in the Garden of Eden and He said those things to Adam and Eve.. Book Genesis ch 3...
My point is, if everything in this life comes with hardworking and perseverance, who says marriage is different... Although, the idea of marriage has been diluted and the signficant sometimes forgotten... I believe that having a successfull marriage comes with understanding so many things... God is important but he will do his part, so we need to do ours.. We cannot simply think that once we pray that the problem goes away, we need to repent daily..
Besides, marriages comes with its blessings and its storms, its part of life ( I really dont know what the big deal is when people i.e. married or sinlge say it is hard and complicated). Like ofcourse it will be hard, if u keep professing it.. it will be harder if u believe it too...
But I think it is challenging, and with challenges comes solutions, as in it is tough enough ur partner is different, with different background, different ideas, different everything and above all, you are both humans with imperfect qualities, yes it is correct to say marriage will be challenging..
In summary, I strongly believe with God everything, all things, whatever it is or they are will become possible for me because MY GOD IS BIGGER THAN IT ALL. I say, it is well with a big smile on my face...
My own recipe for a great marriage: commit it in God hands, seek his face for everyhing, use my faith diligently and do my part verrrrrrrrrrrry well... so God will easily do his nicely.. obviously life is a journey, and u can only learn to be better... but nothing should be taken for granted in this life, absolutely nothing, including the very air that we breath should be respected. Thus, marriage is the same...
Pardon the long essay(i have alot to say, am a deep person and I can't help it sometimes.
I read this on Bukville and found it deeply inspiring and an eye opener. Bless you, Joshua for this piece.
ReplyDeleteDear Daughter of Her King:
ReplyDeleteMy sibling in the Lord. Thanks a billion for taking the time to read the post and writing your comment. I couldn't agree with you more. I was laughing and "rolling on the floor" when I read your comments, especially the last line.
Firstly, no apology is required for your comment. Been a deep person reveals you have so much deposited in you and you need to let it out. So Girl, bring it on...... :-)
Secondly, you are so right, for a person to truly love another, one MUST love God first. If we have the true love of God shed abroad in our hearts, oh, how easy it will be to love ourselves, our spouses and others unconditionally.
It is also true that nobody says marriage is easy. It takes work, understanding, knowledge, the wisdom of God from both sides and the realization that marriage is not of this world but ordained by God HIMSELF. Marriage is a responsibility that God entrusted to each person to participate in the unfolding of another person's life. It's our choice to see it to the end or quit along the way, and as I have learnt both in the kingdom and even in this world, quitters never win and fortunately winners never quit. Thanks again dear sibling in the Lord.
Dear Maid Of Heart:
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for taking the time to read the article. I appreciate the fact that you took the time to come to this page and left a comment. I am also glad that you found the article inspiring and eye-opening. Once again, thank you and stay blessed. To God be the glory.
Awwww thank u Bro Caleb for this support :). I am glad I contributed.. U see people say am deep never knew what they meant, until u said I have got so much deposited within me ( Now, I know why I always feel so eager to contribute, encourage or advice.. its simply in me, I am glad God takes me through a journey so much to tell father ABRAHAM, Granpa Moses and all the greats in heaven or in Abraham bosom when I see them.. God is awesome).
ReplyDeleteYes, to the last sentence, quitters never win.... But I guess people do back out for reasons that I pray I will never know or come close to..
I love marriage so much.. dont know why precisely but yeah I do (its like a passion, just like I love God and I cant explain why per say, but its from within)..
it saddens me when people have a misconception of it all and do it for all the wrong reasons and when things get square shaped, its off to the next available flight (God will never stop enlightening us).. though not married now... I will one day (soon enough :) and I can truly say TO GOD, I CAME, I SAW and I conquered.. In marriage case, I entered, I tested and I overcame it all... Thank u JESUS...LOL..
Bro Caleb, pls I have two questions for you?
a) Pls correct me if am wrong but does God actually chose our partners for us?? As in u know when people say they saw their future spouses in a dream and all sort? Pls shed a light on this.
b) What about this conviction business, is it a God thing or religious Christian thing. Some say they need a sign or a word to find out if their partner are ordained from God???.
Does that change anything?
Thank you.
Wow!!! Daughter of Her King, you definitely have the word of truth in you. Your passion for marriage is a sign that you are carrying the love of God in you and you can't rest until it is shared with that someone that you are supposed to witness the unfolding of his life with.
ReplyDeleteTo your question. I am not of the school of thought that God chooses our spouse for us. He did not choose for Adam, but took from Adam to make him eve for a partner. I can not say categorically that God is doing that for HIS children, it is not scriptural, unless my wisdom in God has not reached that point yet. We are quite responsible for choosing our partner. Now if we ask God to give us wisdom in choosing our partner, HE will. If we choose not to ask HIM, He won't interfere. If we have problem in that marriage, HE still will not neglect or abandon us, but HE will help us to correct what has gone wrong. HE IS LOVE. So, short answer? :-) I don't know if HE chooses our partner and I can't back that up with scripture. One thing I know for sure is that God's sovereignty doe not nullifiy our responsibility.
On the conviction business, that definitely is scriptural, Jesus was telling HIS disciples that HE must leave so that the HOLY SPIRIT can come, and that when the SPIRIT OF TRUTH comes, he will guide us into ALL truth. (John 16:13). Guiding one into all truth means correcting us when we are wrong, but HE does it ever so gently. Now that's what conviction means. Telling you that you are wrong without judging you.
I hope this helps. Yes my dear sister. You are hungry for the word. It's a great thing. Our Lord Jesus said "If any man thirsts, let him come and I will give him living water that he will never thirst again."
Glory, hallelujah that we have a GOD that loves HIS children unconditionally and might I say.....crazily. :-)
Thanks Bro Caleb for answering my questions :)... you sound like a gently person :).
ReplyDeleteI understand the bit about sin and everything... So you are saying that HOLY SPIRIT will convict us on our choices of partners??? I ask this because I have encountered people that felt they need a divine word in order to marry their future spouse? Is is this scriptural?? Thanks
Daughter Of Her King:
ReplyDeleteThat's not what I'm saying. Part of what the HOLY SPIRIT does is convict us of sin, not of our choices of our marriage partner. In the choice of a life partner, if we allow HIM, HE advises and helps us to choose the right partner, but HE does not force one down our throats. It behooves us to listen to HIM since HE knows all things and HE knows the end from the begining. Nothing is hidden from HIM.
I have not seen anywhere in the scripture where the HOLY SPIRIT is to convict us for our choice of partners. He gently guides us, He does not force HIMSELF on us, that's why HE is called the gentle SPIRIT and when HE speaks, HE does it gently with a "still small voice"
So, it is not scriptural to get a divine word in order to marry. Hope this helps. Thanks for all your comments.