Think a minute…A divorced husband and wife said: “We broke up because of illness in the family: we got sick of each other.” Sadly, the longest living institution of humanity is experiencing an epidemic disease that’s infecting and injuring the lives of millions of couples and their children.
Furthermore, many of the couples who stay together still have not learned how to have a healthy, happy relationship. Today and tomorrow, we will look at some of the unhealthy conditions in marriage. Then we’ll prescribe some medicines to heal and strengthen our marriage for a satisfying life together.
The first deadly disease in marriages is selfishness. “Many marriage problems are caused by the marriage of two people who are in love—with themselves.” This is the husband who sees his wife as the one who gives him what he wants as a cook, cleaner, money maker, and lover. He likes to show her off like a new car, but when her paint fades and her engine slows down, he wants to trade her in for a new model. This selfish, childish kind of character and thinking does not know what mature, manly love is. Love and marriage is “for men only” who are strong enough to put the needs of their wife first.
In the same way, a selfish and domineering wife can take her feminism and women’s liberation too far by not respecting and treating her husband as a man. As one husband said, “My wife is the nicest guy you’ll ever meet!” A bossy, unkind, critical wife will gradually tear down her husband’s self-confidence; plus rob him and their children of their respect for him as their father. Her daily disrespecting of him continues to cut him down and make him less of a man instead of more of a man. Sadly, “Some wives work so hard to make good husbands they don’t make better wives.” This kind of wife needs to take a long, honest look at herself to clearly see her own wrong heart and character faults.
A second marriage sickness is busyness. In many marriages both the husband and wife have full-time careers. Even stay-at-home mothers are extremely busy with their children’s schooling, housekeeping, paying bills, cooking, part-time employment and countless other duties. So, when the husband goes out with the boys after work instead of coming home, couples have even less time to be alone with each other and keep their relationship close, strong, and satisfying.
Today, whatever your marriage problem may be, won’t you ask the Creator of love and marriage to start healing your relationship with your spouse. Then, ask Him to start changing your heart, so you can become the lifetime companion your husband or wife needs. Just think a minute…