A Fruitful Marriage: It Is A Sacrificial Life -  Part Two

So guard yourself in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. "I hate divorce," says the Lord God of Israel. (Malachi 2:15-16a). Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun— all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun (Ecclesiastes 9:9). He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord (Proverbs 18:22).

Many people marry with several reasons and purposes. The future of every marriage is heavily dependent on the purpose of which the marriage was contracted. There is only one reason and purpose in marriage which makes marriage enjoyable, secured, and fruitful. The reason of marriage is to show exceedingly love to your partner and prove to your partner that you have abandoned all the things in this world just to have him/her. It is living to prove to your partner that he/she is worth more than all the things in this world. This is sacrifice! Indeed, the Bible stated this clearly, in 1 Corinthians 7:33 “But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world — how he can please his wife.” Ecclesiastes 9:9 states that the best thing you can ever do under the sun is to enjoy life with your wife. Later we will discover that indeed, it is the greatest thing you can ever do in this life.

There is an interesting passage in the Bible I would like to share. It is a story of Abraham, who had a relationship with God and out of the relationship came a precious gift, so dear to Abraham, that’s Isaac. A time came when God decided to test Abraham, whether he loves him (God) or his son, Isaac. The story revealed how Abraham was prepared and ever ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, to prove his love for God. That was the moment God confirmed and proclaimed blessings into the lives of Abraham, of which his son, Isaac also benefited.

Marriage is like the relationship between God and Abraham. The love between a husband and wife should be like the love between God and Abraham. All the blessing that comes out of the marriage are all called fruits. These include, children, education, business, house, family affairs, cars, sex, and so on. For marriage to be fruitful, the love between a husband and wife should always exceed their love for the fruits that come out of the marriage. It is also the best way for the fruits to be fruitful and increased. The moment Abraham proved his love for God, that was the moment God confirmed his blessing to him and his descendants. The same is true for a farmer. If you want a tree to bear more fruits, do not work on the fruits, rather work on the tree.

Most problems that hit marriages are a result of their love for the fruits, which become more than the love for their partners. Marriage is always about you and your partner. You can’t love your car more than your partner. You can’t love your children more than your partner. In fact, you are creating serious damage to your children if you love them more than your partner. Theodore Hesburgh once said, “The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” You can’t love sex more than your partner. This is dangerous and has led many marriages and families into disarray. Sex is best enjoyed when the love for your partner becomes more powerful than the demand for the sexual act. This is the moment where sacrifice comes in. The moment you find yourself developing so much love for a fruit in your marriage than your partner, you need to sacrifice that fruit and prove to your partner that you love him/her more and there you will find solutions to help you and your family thrive and survive. Sacrifice here does not mean you have to kill your child, rather, it is the moment of proving your love for your partner to be above that of your child. The best way to build your love for your partner is to grow to love God. It is a powerful tool!

In the next episode, I will share wonderful testimonies of how people who followed this concept rescued their marriages and transforms lives when they ensure that their love for each other exceeded their love for the fruits in their marriage. When marriage becomes fruitful, all others benefit. Are you having problems with financing, infidelity, business collapsing, children misbehaving, extended family issues, and so on. The very best thing you can do now to enjoy a successful and peaceful life is to show great love to your partner. He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord (Proverbs 18:22). There is power in marriage that no amount of problem can hit your marriage when the love between you and your partner is more than all the things around you.

Jeffery Amo Asare
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