Keys To a Successful Marriage

Don’t close the tab when I tell you that the keys to a successful marriage are obedience and sacrifice. Some of you are already cringing thinking that I am suggesting that you must obey your husband like a child obeys his or her parents. Well, don’t be surprised if I tell you that if submission to your husband is an issue than you have a problem with obedience to God. Don’t expect me to deal with all of the “what ifs” such as what if he tells me to do something illegal? We are not fools and we know right from wrong. When I say that obedience is one of the keys to a successful marriage, I am talking about obedience to God! The Bible encourages us in Romans 12:1,2 ………..to submit our bodies as a living sacrifice to God, Holy and acceptable……and not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This article is not about submission but I will say that one of the primary reasons Christian women struggle with the concept of submission is because they think like the world thinks as it relates to marriage. God’s word tells us we need our minds renewed. Being conformed to the world means you have not allowed God’s word to shape your thinking, but culture, pop psychology and feminist ideologies are your sources of wisdom and knowledge as it relates to your marriage.

God calls us to a life of obedience first and foremost to Him. This is the real issue at hand. Have you truly surrendered your life to God? Because if you are struggling with submission to your husband you are struggling with obedience to God for this is what He commands and requires of us. We demonstrate our love to God by being obedient to His word. See 1 John 1:5; St. John 14:15 and 15:10

Living a life of obedience to God requires sacrifice and self-denial. And this is a key element in having a successful marriage. We are all born inherently selfish and self-centered. We want our needs met and we respond to our husband based on whether he is meeting our needs. Well the real key is to get your focus off of yourself! See Luke 9:23-26

Forgiveness and Biblical Love are foundational to a successful marriage relationship. We have to be willing to forgive one another and allow love to cover the sins we commit against one another; to forget the past and begin anew. See Matthew 18:21-35, I Corinthians 13. Simple kindness and and tenderness towards one another go along way in maintaining a healthy marriage - try it!

Understand God’s design for Marriage: Additional Scriptures for Study

God’s Design for Marriage: Genesis 2: 18-25

The husband is the head of the wife: I Corinthians 11:3, 7-12; I Timothy 2:12-15

Please note that this is not an issue of equality as the feminists would like to portray it; this is God’s divine design. God created Adam first and told him take dominion over the earth; then he created woman as a helper to Adam. God assigned different roles and functions to men and women.

Marriage is likened to Christ and the Church (the bride of Christ): Ephesians 5:22-33

Marriage is a Covenant: Malachi 2:13-17

Qualities of a Godly wife/woman: Titus 2:1-5; I Peter 3:1-6

From --> http://sisters4christ.wordpress.com/2008/09/04/keys-to-a-successful-marriage/