Topic: Little Foxes that Spoil the Vine (Part 4)
Dear Reader,
You would agree with me that you have been having a wonderful time since we began this teaching series. You must have learnt a lot on how to keep your home from being destroyed by characters that can be watched and overcome. Marriage is an institution established by God and must be sustained by His Word. If you fill the water pots with water, you will have sweeter wine every day.
As this month rounds off, I would like you to start, by setting some good standards on the right foundation for your family. It is important to know that there are things which should, of necessity, not be found in your home, if you must enjoy a wonderful marriage. They are things that you must avoid, in order to have the best in your marriage. These things cause stress, pain, arguments, quarrel, lack of peace, separation and sometimes, even divorce. Most of them are caused by man himself. A good knowledge of some of them will keep your marriage free from such things. This week, I shall be looking at two of them.
Wrong Company: A man does not have to be foolish in himself to be destroyed. All he needs to do is walk with the foolish and soon, the folly in his friend will become part of him too. Walking with a foolish person is as bad as being foolish. The Word of God says, “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20).The company you keep either makes or mar you. It doesn’t leave you the same. The major cause of problems in some homes today is wrong company, caused by family members who keep receiving counsel and moving with people who always cause trouble in their homes.
A wrong association will affect you negatively. It will make you do things that you may never have done on your own. You must be careful about your choice of company and friends. A wise man once said, “Show me your friends, and I will tell you who you are” and I would like to ask you the same question today as you are reading this article: Who is your friend? If your friend is one that is a liar, a cheat, a thief, one that beats his wife or is covetous and you think you are not like him or her, then, you are wrong. Very soon the nature of your friend will begin to rub off on you and the end-result will be destruction. That shall not be your portion in Jesus’ name!
Anyone that constantly provokes your spirit and gives you wrong counsel against your wife, husband or family’s well-being will destroy your home. The Word of God says: Be not deceived: evil communication corrupt good manner (I Corinthians 15:33). A wrong company or association corrupts good manners. The basis for any association should be agreement (Amos 3:3). When the company or association you keep is not in agreement with the things you believe in, then you must end your relationship with that company. Friendship, as they say is by choice and not by force! Separate yourself from wrong friends. Be selective in your association. Select your friends with wisdom. Do not allow any wrong company to destroy your home and marriage.
Slothfulness: It is another thing that can destroy marriages. It simply means laziness. Successful families don’t just happen; they are consciously made to happen. If God had to work for six days when He was creating the world in Genesis 1, you must be ready also to do what it takes in order to enjoy a successful family life. Get rid of laziness or slothfulness because the fruit of laziness is shame. There are some women that find it difficult to attend to their husbands, especially in the area of cooking. They leave everything for their house-help including the upbringing of the children. This habit can easily destroy marriage and family. Knowing what to do to improve the state of your family and not doing it or doing it for a while and giving up will not bring the success you desire; rather this attitude can destroy your marriage and family. You must co-operate with God by playing your own part and getting rid of spiritual and physical laziness in order to enjoy a successful family.
A brother who read one of my tracts, Created to Create, said, “I was very happy when I read your tract. I am in business now. But I used to be very lazy, right from my youth; to the point that I was always late to school because of oversleeping. But after reading your tract, which mentioned a sister that decided to sell boiled water for drinking in school and prospered by it, and another lady who sold tomatoes and bought a car with the profits, I became ashamed of myself, because my business was not prospering due to my lazy attitude. I was challenged to change my lazy ways and decided to do according to your advice in that tract. God touched my soul and I was converted. I thank God for opening my eyes. My life and my business are no more the same!”
I see the same thing happening in your life, as you take the right steps to get rid of every act of laziness and slothfulness in your life in Jesus’ name. I curse every sluggish, dull and drag attitude that has stolen away the beauty in your family before now and I decree that God release unto you, the grace to be diligent, so that you can enjoy your family in Jesus’ name.
You need Jesus Christ to help maintain the right company and strengthen you at all times. If you are already born again, rejoice because your case is settled. If you are not yet born again and you desire to do so right now, please pray this prayer with faith in your heart: 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).
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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.
