Pro.5v18-20: Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of your youth. As a loving deer and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times; and always be enraptured with her love. For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, and be embraced in the arms of a seductress.

Dearly beloved, as you can see from our text scripture (Pro.5v18-20) that God wants you to have a strong and wonderful relationship with your spouse. And this should be your major priority too. Achieving this is possible, but you must also be prepared in playing your roles too. So what does it take to build a healthy marriage? The angle that I would like us to look at is how to know if your Marriage is healthy or not. Just like good health is discernible, so also is a healthy marriage! There are several means by which you can know whether your marriage is strong or not. As we examine these indicators, I trust that God will visit your marriage afresh.

INDICATORS OF A HEALTHY MARRIAGE:

1. Mutual Love. Love is one of the vital signs of a healthy marriage. A strong marriage is one that both partners love each other sincerely and deeply. See the example of Adam & Eve in Gen.2v23-25 and Isaac and Rebekah in Gen.26v8. Love is a powerful word; it means to care, give, cherish, nourish, adore, have affection for, devotion, dedication etc. There are also different kinds of love that a couple will experience in their relationship, such as brotherly or friendship love, romantic love, family love. Still, the greatest and most important one is agape Love. This is the God kind of love which is unconditional, sacrificial and selfless love! It’s the purest kind of love that is constant regardless of life’s times, seasons, or circumstances. This is the kind of love that will sustain or preserve your marriage. This is how God expects to love one another. If you are wondering how this love looks, read (1Corinthians 13 verse 4-8).

My dear reader, this is the kind of love you need to practise in your home. It’s a love that never gets bitter but Better! It’s never tired or weary! It’s not based on conditions or feelings! It’s devoid of fear! It’s genuine and has the best interest of your partner at heart! If you are born again, you already have the capacity for this love! (Rom.5v5). But in case you are not yet a child of God, it’s never too late to do so Today! Receiving Jesus into your heart and life is what changes you and enables you to love like God (2Cor.5v17). So it’s time to love like Christ. It’s time to walk in the Love of God! Love is the wine in your relationship and the older the wine, the better and sweeter it is supposed to be. May this be your testimony as you begin to care for your spouse the way God loves. I have also discovered that people do different things for the sake of love. For instance, Jacob served Laban because of the love he had for Rachel (Gen29v20). David risked his life for his love for Michal (Saul’s daughter) in (1Sam.18v20-27). Isaac even lied because of the love he had for Rebekah (Gen.26v7-11). But whatever you do for Love, just make sure your reasons are right and genuine! I trust God to visit your Marriage in a special way this season.

Other Scriptural References: (1Jn.4v8 16, 18; Gen.34v19; Jn.3v16: 15v13; Rom.5v18; Prov.10v12; 1Pet.4v8; Sos.8v6-8).

Prayer for Today: Holy Spirit, renew my love for you and my spouse in Jesus name, amen.

CONFESSION: I choose to be a builder and not a destroyer! I will cooperate and collaborate with my partner in making my marriage a better one! I will not be a clog in the wheel of progress of my relationship with my partner! I am willing and ready to make the necessary changes in my walk with my partner! I renew my love from today for my spouse! I choose to love as Christ loved from henceforth and by his spirit.

Pastor Yemi Adeoti

Yemi Adeoti is a pastor, teacher, life coach and mentor & also a prolific writer.