God’s Ultimate Desire For Your Family (4) By Pastor Faith Oyedepo
Topic: God’s ultimate desire for your family (4)
Dear Reader,
You are welcome to God’s presence! I have shown you some of God’s desires for your marriage. Today, I shall be looking at how Marriage is for Better Living.
Marriage was instituted for the better living of mankind. It is not to bring hurts or constitute a hindrance. If you want your home and marriage to exhibit a better living, God must be at the centre of your heart and home. You have to be open to His Words and follow His instructions. His Words, instructions or commandments are not grievous or burdensome (1 John 5:3).
In other words, it is an easy thing to do because God created man with an innate desire to please Him and follow His will (Scripture). The Lord Jesus came to make it easier for man to follow and obey the Word of God. He said: Come, all that labour… for my burden is light and my yoke is easy (Matthew 11:28). Instead of seeking to do things your way, why not do them God’s way to get the results you desire cheaply.
Because family life originated from the Lord, He must be the centre of your family life to enjoy a better living. Countless people are having a near death experience in their family lives. Some married many wives and are still dissatisfied. Others are separated, while some live a cat and dog life, wishing that someone would deliver them from it. Despite all these, there are some who are enjoying family life and making a success of it. This is not just by luck. Success is not by luck, you programme yourself for the type of success you desire.
As a born-again child of God, enjoying a better family life is your birthright. It is God’s will and desire for you to enjoy an exciting marriage, home, life and family. Apart from making God the centre of your family, the next thing you must understand is that family life is meant for better living. It is meant for help, not hurt. The Bible says: I will make him a help meet (Genesis 2:18); Two are better than one (Ecclesiastes 4:9).
Family life was created to help man and not hinder him; it is not meant to make life worse for him. If that is what you have been seeing in the lives and homes of others, or maybe in yours, I can assure you that it is not what God desires for you. Whether you are a father, mother, husband, wife, child or relation, can you boldly say with sincerity from your heart that you are a help to others in the home? Or have you been a hindrance to the success of others in the home? Is it your policy at home to help family members? Or do you maintain a survival-of-the-fittest attitude?
In case someone has told you: “That’s how life is”, “Just bear it”, or “Maybe that’s your lot in life.” That’s not what God has designed for you. Don’t accept less than what God has purposed for you. Don’t allow the devil to cheat you into believing that a better living and marriage are not for you to enjoy. Your family can still stand out; your situation can still change. The breath of life can still find its way into your family, if you will co-operate with God.
As a wife/mother, God put you beside that man and those children, so you can help them. As a husband/father, God put you beside that woman, children, so you can help them, be an example to them and bring them up the right way. It is not your teachers’ responsibility to train your children. Children, God put you in that family to be a blessing (Psalm 127:3). Are you a pleasure to your family or a pain? If you are about getting married, are you ready to be a help to your mate? Or are you just looking for someone to service your needs? If you are not ready to be a help, watch it and retrace your steps.
To be a help transcends all areas of life. If one party is faltering, the other needs to lift him or her up. The Word of God says: If they fall, the one will lift up his fellow… (Ecclesiastes 4:10).
No matter how much your success, your connection or family members will also need to succeed. If you ignore their progress, you may eventually be faced with mending their failures. No matter who that member of the family is, the grace of God is sufficient for you. It will enable you to be a helper in Jesus’ name!
Financially, you are also meant to be a helper in your family. Money seeks worshippers; refuse to be its convert. Some Christians go to church, sing together, lift up hands to God, but when it comes to money, that is their god which must not be touched. Read this testimony: “I am newly married and was touched by what you narrated about homes in the article of “Family Matters”. Since then, through my application of the knowledge gained, things have changed positively for me…” Chidube, N.A. (Aba).
Money has brought division into many families. Don’t let it bring division into yours. Ensure that you are a helper to your spouse in this area. Hiding your money from one another is not the way to financial success. Render financial help to one another. The humorous thing about money is that if you don’t know how to send it on errands, it will send you and often times, on evil ones. If you have been defaulting, you can repent by saying this prayer: “Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. Deliver me from sin and satan to serve the living God. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.”
If you prayed this simple prayer, you are now 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).
Congratulations! You are now born again! All-round rest and peace are guaranteed you, in Jesus’ Name. Call or write, and share your testimonies with me through contact@faithoyedepo.org; OR 07026385437 and 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).