Family Happiness Begins with You (Part 2) by Pastor Faith Oyedepo
Topic: Family Happiness Begins with You (Part 2) Dear Reader, A successful marriage requires commitment to one’s spouse. Without this, no amount of prayer, fasting, and “sleeping” in church can take the place of commitment in marriage. Marriage is not a temporary arrangement, but a commitment for life. If this is true, you may wonder why the divorce rate is so high, even among Christians. The reason is that many couples are not committed to each other. Commitment is the framework on which a marriage is built. A man and his wife must, therefore, be totally committed to each other spiritually, physically, emotionally and otherwise. Commitment in turn brings security. A successful marriage must be exclusive, involving one man and one woman, in one life-time relationship. Each spouse must be committed to “forsake all others”. Commitment compels love A husband’s primary responsibility is that of loving his wife, and commitment compels love. That is, where there is commitment to one’s spouse, love becomes automatic. Commitment becomes like a driving force, pushing the husband to love his wife. The Word of God says: Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it (Ephesians 5:25). If any man finds it difficult to love his wife, the problem could be lack of commitment to his marriage. When there is commitment, there will be no need to persuade a man to love his wife; it will come naturally.Also Read: Dwelling In Understanding (Part 4) By Pastor Faith Oyedepo
My husband, for instance, is highly committed to God and to the success of our home. Therefore, it is easy for him to ravish me with so much love, even without my asking for it. That is commitment! Husbands, you need to hear this. There is no wife who hates to be loved. There is no woman that will not respond positively to love. Someone once said that submission is a response, because when you love your wife, she responds by unquestionable submission. Therefore, tension and quarrelling in a home are an indication of the absence of love. Commitment compels submission Just as commitment provokes love, it also triggers submission. Any woman who is truly committed to the success of her marriage will be submissive to her husband. When a woman is stubborn and naughty, it is a sign of lack of commitment to her home. Submission is simply defined as the willingness of putting yourself under someone else’s authority. Contrary to some people’s thinking, submission has nothing to do with slavery. Rather, it is an act of the will. The Word of God says: Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body (Ephesians 5:22-23). A committed woman needs no advice or encouragement to submit to her husband. Her commitment is a driving force. I am not talking about submission under duress, but from a willing heart. Many people wish and express their desire that their home be like ours; but as the saying goes, “If wishes were horses, beggars will ride.” Nothing good happens by chance. Commitment must be in place; else family success will be a mere dream. Thank God for His grace, but we have been committed to playing our parts too. That is why today I can boldly declare that I am enjoying a good home! As you play your part also, God will give you a brighter testimony than ours! Wherever there is commitment in a marriage, there will be love and submission: both parties working together for the success of their home. Your commitment to God is the gateway to your commitment to your spouse. Therefore, if you want to be committed to your spouse, you must first be committed to God. This entails surrendering your life to Christ by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. That is how to be born again. If want to be born again, say this prayer and be committed to it: 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 contact@faithoyedepo.org, 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.
