MEMORY VERSE: “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” Amos 3:3.
BIBLE PASSAGE: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.
INTRODUCTION
Marriage is a covenant relationship between a man and a woman which makes them husband and wife. The marriage institution can be likened to the relationship between Jesus and His church Ephesians 5:24-25. Marriage is not co-habiting: it is to be physically, emotionally,spiritually, financially, sexually, and materially connected. It will be impossible for couple to succeed maritally except they are united. From the beginning, unity in marriage is not a given, couples need to prayerfully work in harmony to keep and maintain their relationships. Genesis 2:24.
OUTLINE
1.CULTIVATING UNITY IN MARRIAGE
2. THE BLESSINGS OF UNITY
1.CULTIVATING UNITY IN MARRIAGE
Unity in marriage means to be of one mind and purpose in the marriage .How do you promote unity in marriage?
- Make Jesus the foundation and the Chief Cornerstone of your marriage 1 Corinthians 3:11; 1 Peter 2:6. When Jesus is in your relationship, your marriage will stand firm, even during the storm John 2:2-3, 7-10; Mark 4;36-39.
- Rely on God’s word and be prayerful. There is an answer to all of life’s questions in God’s word. It does not matter how unreasonable your spouse may be, there is an answer in God’s word, search it out and stand on it in prayer Psalm 119:98, Proverbs 24:3. Always pray against the arrow of discord from the enemy. Satan and his agents are constantly waging war against godly and successful marriages, do not give satan a place in your home. Renounce demonic agenda for your marriage and pray that a broken home will not be your portion. James 5:16.
- Love and Submit: These are two mutually exclusive factors that promote unity in marriage Ephesians 5:22, 25,33. You cannot genuinely love your wife as a husband or submit to your husband as a wife and not be united in marriage. When submission is genuine, love follows and when true love is displayed, submission will follow Colossians 3:18-19.
- Communicate with understanding: for every couple, there are differences in personalities, background, giftings, strength, etc. Every spouse must be ready and free to express themselves and understand one another. As a couple, the more you communicate,the more you understand each other and the more you thrive in unity Amos 3:3, Philippians 2:2-3.
- Trust and Respect: Trust is built and earned over time. Couples should grow to have confidence that your partner will never deliberately hurt or violate you Proverbs 31:11. Respect each other’s opinion, use your words wisely and speak kindly to yourselves. Do not discuss your spouse’s weaknesses with other people. Ephesians 5:33b; Romans 12:10b. If a couple is fond of taking their disagreements to outsiders, discord is bound to prevail in their home Mark 10:9.
- Be intentional about being romantic and sexually intimate: Create opportunities to call yourselves sweet names, play with each other, surprise yourselves with gifts and do not forget to celebrate your anniversaries together song of solomon 4:7, 9-11; Genesis 26:8. Having regular sex has lots of health benefits for both husband and wife and will strengthen intimacy/ bonding in marriage for a long time 1 Corinthians 7:2-5.
- Avoid distant relationships and learn to forgive each other: the closer you are to each other physically, sexually, financially, mentally etc, the more united you’ll become. Eat, sleep, talk, bath, walk, pray, dress together, and forgive each other. Offence will always come especially with closeness, but couples must learn to forgive, discuss, and resolve issues amicably as life-long friends Ephesians 4:32; Matthew 18:21-22.
2. THE BLESSINGS OF UNITY
There are benefits couples stand to gain if they live in unity in their marriages. They will enjoy togetherness, harmony, and peace Psalm 133:1, they will make faster and better decisions and achieve more together Ecclesiastes 4:9-10. They will also receive answers to prayers Matthew 18:19, happiness, fulfilment, and good health Proverbs 17:22a, a stable environment to nurture children, and create lasting marriage.
CONCLUSION
Unity in marriage is possible. You must give your best to get the best out of your marital relationship.
FURTHER READINGS
SUN: Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
MON:Ecclesiastes 4:11-12
TUE: Psalm 133:1-3
WED: Genesis 2:24
THUR: Matthew 18:19
FRI: Proverbs 24:3
SAT: Amos 3:3