The life partner (Part 17)
Today I finish this teaching and it was long because I think the people of God need clarifications about marriage. I had a lot of encouraging messages, many have told me they are going to use these teachings to prepare the youth but others have written to me to show their anger because of what I wrote. Others told me that I have to respect the people’s cultures, some are opposed to the possibility of divorce for Christians but what I want all my readers to understand is that I do not invent anything. All I say is from the bible and as the title points out, I try to show what the bible says about marriage with biblical verses to support it. I'm not trying to say what I find reasonable or what people want to hear but I say only what is written in the Word and readers will judge.
In the 16th teaching, I was talking about submission of women in their home. I said that today it is sometimes difficult for some women to undergo because they earn more money than their husbands and some women manage to occupy the position of the president of a country. How can a president of a nation submit to her husband? We must first understand that the position of the president does not change the principle of God. If the Word of God says that the husband is the head in a home, the woman must understand that she must submit to receive the blessings that God has prepared for her. You can be the most powerful woman in the world but God has put in you the desire to be loved by your husband and it is only by means of submission that you can get his true love.
The scripture in Ephesians 5: 25 asks married men to love their wives as Christ loved the Church. Your wife likes to be respected but what she wants most is not your respect but your love. The problem is that many men demand respect from their wives without giving love in return. If you want her respect, sow love and attention and you will reap respect with time.
Before finishing the teaching, I have to say to married men that if you mistreat your wives or you do not honor them, your prayers may not be answered because your behavior can be an obstacle to your prayers. Peter wrote by saying: "Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will HINDER your prayers" (1 Peter 3: 7)
May the Holy Spirit helps us to understand what I could not explain and I hope that this teaching will influence many households to conform to God's Word.
Chris Ndikumana
