Seminar
Themes
Photos of previous class
participants
There
is a song that is sung with lyrics that say, “Count your blessings, name
them one by one and see what God has done.” This is so true, if we’ll just
take a moment to assess how good He’s been to each of us, particularly in
our marriages. Without God in the midst of our marriage relationship we
are aimlessly drifting through life like “the man in a boat without an
oar.”
A successful marriage is not an accident waiting to happen. It is one
where two people have made a decision to do it God’s way and not their
own. For so long, man has tried to find success without God in his
everyday comings and goings. That same mentality has manifested itself in
the marriage relationship. Jeremiah 10: 23 states, “O Lord, I know that
the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct
his steps.” Thus we need God’s guidance and direction to have a successful
marriage.
Two Working
Together as One
Marriage is truly a wonderful arrangement when we get “self” out of the
way. Have you noticed how sometimes we think we have all of the answers in
our relationship, and our spouse should just be thankful to be along for
the ride? Well, this frame of mind has never been a part of God’s plan for
marriage. Genesis 2:18 identifies God’s plan. “And the Lord God said, it
is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet
(helper comparable to him) for him.” So we see that God’s plan has both
the husband and the wife working together as a team, and not two separate
entities. Amos 3:3 poses a powerful question. “Can two walk together,
except they be agreed?” Thus, a husband and a wife must recognize that in
order for there to be success in their marriage they must work as a team
in order to become joint heirs of the promises of God.
The Promises of God
God has always stated in His word that He would never leave us nor forsake
(Hebrews 13:5). What greater assurance is needed in our marriage
relationship? God is always there as an anchor to steady our ship when the
seas get rough. We must be willing to hold on to God’s promise to be
there. We know storms will come our way, but they can be overcome with
both the husband and the wife working together as one unit. It is
paramount that each couple makes a commitment to God and to each other to
endure even when things don’t look too good! Make Ephesians 3:20 your
point of reference as it speaks to the fact that God is “…able to do
exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the
power that worketh in us…”
Commitment Must
Be in the Pudding
Without commitment, there is no substance to that which we speak or do.
Commitment requires dedication, energy, and most of all total involvement.
In a marriage relationship both husband and wife must be willing to put
forth a genuine effort to make the marriage be all that it should.
Lukewarm enthusiasm just won’t get the job done. The scriptures bear this
out in Revelations 3: 15-16 when God speaks these words, “I know thy
works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew
thee out of my mouth.” Commitment is everything to God, and thus
commitment in the marriage relationship is a must.
Commitment is demonstrated in our marriage relationship when we focus in
on the needs of each other. Dr. Willard F. Harley, Jr., author of the book
His Needs, Her Needs: Building an Affair-Proof Marriage, talks about
meeting the emotional needs of one another. When a couple is able to
identify the emotional needs of one another and begins to strive towards
meeting those needs, they are demonstrating their commitment to each
other.

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