18/04/2019
BUILDING A HAPPY HOME
Building a happy home depends upon many things. For those contemplating marriage as well as those who have been married for many years, we offer the following suggestions and thoughts.
1. Be careful in your selection of a mate. Choose someone who can help you in living a faithful Christian life. Remember that those whom you date may become your mate. Thus, the old adage still rings true: “Choose a date fit for a mate.” Look for that “inner beauty,” that purity of life and character. Make sure that you marry a genuine Christian.
2. Marry only one who is eligible for marriage. One who has been divorced for a reason other than fornication (sexual immorality) is not eligible for marriage. Jesus said: "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery" (Matt. 19:9). An innocent person who has the right to marry would become guilty of adultery by interring into a marriage with one who is not eligible. Remember: those who are eligible for marriage according to Scripture are: (1) Those who have never been married; (2) Those whose mates have died (Rom. 7:1-4); (3) Those who have put away their mates because of their fornication (Matt. 19:9).
3. A happy home is built on mutual love and trust. Satan works in many ways to destroy the sanctity of marriage and the happiness of the home. He would stir up jealousy, envy, and strife. Selfish hearts seek to have their own way without regard for others. Paul’s instruction to husbands and wives is clear: “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them (Col. 3:18-19; Cf. Eph. 5:22-33). Husbands and wives should strive to please one another and to please the Lord. Determine that you not let anything or anyone come between you and your mate.
4. Take time to say “I love you.” A number of years ago a young married man confided that he would make a diligent effort to tell his wife he loved her every day and several times a day. He made it a practice to tell her “darling I love you” before they fell asleep at night. One morning he awoke to find that his lovely wife, just past thirty years of age, had died in her sleep. The young man said, “the memories are sweeter now because I know that the last words she heard me say were “darling, I love you.” From the very beginning of your marriage determine to tell your mate often how much you love them. It is such a little thing, yet saying “I love you” means so much.
Let us remember that marriage was instituted by God for the good of all mankind (Gen. 2:18-25). Happiness in this life as well as in eternity depends on building happy homes. May we do all that we can build happy, successful, Christian home.
©2019 Christian Family Counseling Dan Flournoy
