Topic: Commitment In Marriage (Part 2)
Dear Reader,
It is another wonderful time in God’s presence! It is my prayer that at the end of this teaching, you will be saddled with all it takes to be committed to your spouse. Last week, I shared with you how your commitment to God enhances your marital commitment. This week, I want to teach on: Treat Your Spouse as Yourself.
It is important that you to know that as husband and wife, God sees you as one. Two becoming one is God’s own arithmetic. An understanding of the mystery of one flesh will make husband and wife treat each other the same way. The Word of God says, “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” (Luke 6:31). What you cannot do to yourself, don’t do to your spouse. Treat your spouse the same way you want him or her to treat you. Mike Murdock, a renowned man of God says, “What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you.”
If you want your spouse to be kind to you, then you have a responsibility to be kind to him or her too. If you want respect from your spouse, you also need to sow respect. It is important that husband and wife foster the development of each other, promote each other, treat each other with affection and tenderness, hold each other dear, and keep each other fondly in mind. An understanding of the mystery of one flesh will help a great deal to be able to treat your spouse as yourself.
The Word of God says, “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourished and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church” (Ephesians 5:29). The word ‘nourish’ means to provide with food or other substances necessary for life and growth. It also means: To foster development of or promote.” It also defines “cherish” as “treat with affection and tenderness; hold dear; To keep fondly in mind.” What you sow is what you reap. You must not maltreat your spouse, if you do not want to be treated the same way. What you put into your marriage is what it will give back to you!
Love is reciprocal. To love your spouse is to love yourself, and to hate your spouse is to hate yourself. Some couples so maltreat one another to the point of physical combat. But when you understand the mystery of one flesh, you will never dare to maltreat your spouse. Read this sister’s testimony:
“My husband deserted our two children and I and stopped giving us feeding allowance. He would even beat me whenever he was in town. At a time, he didn’t come for six months. I got to know where he was from the company calendar, and when I got there, he said he didn’t tell me to come. He left me there for three days! I started seeking help from everywhere I could think of – both from churches and ungodly avenues. But things just got worse!
Then an elderly couple invited me to this church. I was touched when the Bishop’s wife ministered on forgiveness and forgetting the past. I prayed and things turned around completely! My husband returned and asked for forgiveness. My marriage is restored and there is now peace in my home.” – Philips, T. (Mrs.)
Most times, I cannot understand how and why a couple should beat each other. That is an extreme case of a person absolutely out of control emotionally. My husband would often say, “A man that beats his wife will be construed as being mentally imbalanced, because he is actually beating himself.” The Bible says’ “For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh”(Matthew 19:5-6).
It takes commitment to God to be committed to your spouse. To be committed to God, you need to surrender your life to Christ. If, peradventure, you are not born again and you want to accept Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour, then say this prayer in faith: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for delivering me from sin and satan to serve the living God and thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.
Congratulations! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, you are now born again and a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).
With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace in Jesus’ Name! Call or write to share your testimonies with me through [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.
For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building A Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored)
“Please click HERE to read other inspiring articles by Pastor Faith Oyedepo”
Pastor Faith Oyedepo is the wife of Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide a.k.a. Winners’ Chapel, and Senior Pastor of Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, Nigeria.
