Plain Truth: Be a blessing to your family

Challenges facing marriages and families in such a time as this cannot be overemphasised. They range from lying to one another and cheating (infidelity) to worse cases of abuse and violence.

Our campaign to save our marriages is grounded on the premise that requires a head-on approach in terms of addressing these issues. Tapping into the biblical wisdom of Psalm 128:1-6, I would like to pay attention to the issue of “being a blessing to your own marriage and family”.

I am making this call because some of us have become a curse instead of a blessing to our marriages. Influenced by various factors, which include, among others, sin in our lives and influence from our friends and or peers. I know of cases where married couples are influenced to divorce by friends and families. Why listen to the advice of people who want to destroy your marriage and ultimately destroy you?

Even in the worst-case scenario, where you have found that your wife or husband has cheated on you, you have to try your best in terms of seeking to reconcile and mend things. I always advise my clients to fight for their marriages, even when the challenges that they are facing seem to be insurmountable.

A blessed person is one who always seek the well-being of his or her family and not the one who serves as an agent to destroy a marriage and family. A blessed person is one who cherishes his or her marital relationship; one who treats his or her spouse with love and respect.

A blessed person is one who is always seeking the wellbeing of one’s children and ensures their success in life by providing proper guidance. It is one who also works very hard to provide a better life for his or her spouse and children, including excellent training in the area of education.

A blessed person in the family context is one who always wants to ground his or her marriage in God. Fear of the Lord should always serve as the basis upon which marriage should be founded and built. Having and developing a common philosophy in marriage is important, but respecting and living according to one’s marriage vows and commitments are equally important.

It is therefore important that we do not just emphasise that God is the founder of our marriages,  but we should also make efforts to ensure that we live according to God’s laws and dictates regarding this institution. Walking in the ways of God is what is needed to save our marriages. It requires a wise man and a woman who is beautiful on the inside to win this battle.

My next articles will focus on developing a woman of noble character, who is also beautiful on the inside as a blessing to one’s marriage and family.

Columns - Date: 05 September 2014

Prof Derrick Mashau

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