6] Myths of Marriage:
Dr Neil Chadwick prepared four myths of marriage:
i] People marriage because they love each other. There are other reasons: romantic, wishes of parents, bone of friendship, economic security and sympathy; loneliness or just to get out of hook and infatuations etc.
ii] Having Children increases marital satisfaction. No doubt the joy of children overwhelms, but there are exhaustions, pressures, financial strain, and time demanding on the couple. If you did not lay a good foundation and intimacy making quality time for better communication before the babies arrive, both would have distance to contain with after they had gone. A friend, Mr. James Okafor said children are passengers to the family; they come, grow and leave.
iii] A god sex life is the best predictor of marital satisfaction. There are many other extremely important factors: communication, quality time together, problem solving initiatives, mutual respect and commitment. These are more important than sex life; as matter of fact there grow or stimulate sex life.
iv] Half of all marriages end in divorce.
7] General concepts of marriage
a] Marriage was designed and instituted by God [Gen 2:18-24]
b] Marriage is a permanent and intimate bond between a man and his wife [Gen. 2:23-25, Matthew 19:5-6; Rom 7:2].
c] Marriage is figurative of Christ’s union with the Church [Eph 5:23-25].
d] Marriage is ordained by God to be honored and regarded by all [Heb 13:4]
e] Marriage id ordained to be long life and only to be separated by death. It’s only then that the other companion that is life is free to remarry [Rom 7:2-3, Mal 2:16; 1 Cor. 7:11].
f] As children of God marriage with unbeliever is forbidden [2 Cor. 6:14-16; Exodus 6:14-16].
8] God’s purpose for marriage
There’s a purpose in the mind of god for designing and instituting marriage:
i] Companionship Mal 2:14; 1 Peter3:7; Eccl 4:9-12
ii] Ordained to produce godly offspring’s Mal 2:15
iii] Complete sexual satisfaction between a man and his wife Prov. 5:15-20;
Exo. 20:14; Lev 20:10; 1 Cor 3:17; 6:18-20.
iv] Remedial way of preventing immorality 1 Cor 7: 2,9; Matt 1:21, Gal 5:16-19.