The Wedding Knot - For What?Sample

WHY GOD CREATED MARRIAGE – MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION If your Audi R8 breaks down, it is best that you take it to the makers of that car or to the authorized garage of that car. It would be foolish to take it to just any local garage. God is the one who invented marriage, the Bible teaches. As we see marriages being wrecked and made mockery of in our time, it is best we go back to Him, to find out the original purpose that he had for setting up marriage on planet Earth. That purpose is revealed in God’s Word in human words, the Holy Bible. Let me outline them for you. The study of these purposes will be useful for those who are married (they will know which God-intended purpose they are missing in their marriage) and those who desire to be married (having known God’s purposes for every marriage, they will be able to wisely choose a life partner). If you are married, you must discover why God wanted you to tie the knot in the first place. If you are planning to get married, it’s wise to find out why God wants you to tie the knot. This will be an interesting study. Let’s start. God created marriage for the facilitation of 5 “MCs”. This is the first one: MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION! After God created the first man, the Bible records, this was what God said: “It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a companion who will help him.” God created marriage to help the human race fight loneliness. God fashioned Holy Matrimony to help especially women cope with the gnawing feeling they constantly have of being ever so lonely! Blessed is the man who understands this! If he did and acted upon this realization, that man’s wife would be happy! Elkanah understood this! This is what he says to Hannah, his wife – a woman who was childless: “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?” (I Sam 1:10). When was the last time you (Mr. Husband) talked that lovingly to your wife? When was the last time you had such loving conversations with your spouse? Queen Jezebel was evil personified. But she can still be taken as an example to follow in the way she spoke to her hubby dear, King Ahab. As he came home after a disgusting day at the office (we can see it that way), she asked him, “Why is your spirit so vexed that you eat no food?” (I Kings 21:5). Not just women, even men have a need for loving, spirit-uplifting conversations in their marriages! Ask King Ahab! Boaz offered to Ruth exactly what she wanted as a woman – plenty of meaningful conversation. Here is just a sample of what Boaz told Ruth: “And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn” (Ruth 2:9). Husband, do you ask your wife things like, “Did you eat”? Do you walk up to her with a glass of water and say, “Please drink”? These are small things, but they mean the world to your wife. They tell her that you love her and that you care for her. In his message on the family in a huge stadium in England, I heard Dr. Billy Graham say that the secret of making one’s wife happy lies in focusing on these ‘little’ things. Little wonder, he had a successful marriage that lasted over five decades, where he remained faithful to his wife, till her death, despite all the pressures of an international itinerant ministry. We husbands must understand that the greatest gifts we can give our wives may not be gifts like that trendy Timex watch but time itself! Your best gift to your wife may not necessarily be that diamond ring but an unhurried date in which you whisper sweet nothings to her! To spend quality time with each other, so that meaningful conversation can evolve, the husband and the wife can read God’s Word together and reflect upon it together. The ad punchline for the car, Chevrolet Beat Diesel, when it was released in India was this: “Long drives are back!” (because apparently this car gives you the best mileage). Let’s get back to those long drives (even if we drive a car that does not offer good mileage) and long walks with our life partners. “You will have to consciously switch off your BlackBerry, turn off your computer, and not read your email. You should go on a vacation with your family and take a break, or else it’s coming at you all the time!” Those words weren’t spoken by Family Counselor James Dobson. You will be surprised to know they were spoken by Google Inc.’s then Vice President, Sukhinder S. Cassidy. She said this in India Today Conclave 2007.