“Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires … Place me like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy as unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned. “ (Songs 8:4,6,7).
Teenagers may not know enough to select to satisfactory mates exposure to the opposite sex in later life and lose interest; or they may lack maturity of judgement. Isaac was 40 years old when he married. To father or mother a child requires physical maturity. The stress and strain of being a husband or wife also demand that one should be physically matured. Today’s husband may not need to be 40 years old before going to the altar but a 15 year old husband would make news in Ghana!
2. WHEN I AM MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY MATURED
In courtship and marriage, every facet of your emotions comes under pressure from the loved one. The right emotional balance will make a mature spouse out of a cry-baby of a girl and a husband out of a pampered boy who must always have his way. Mentally, in the context of marriage, one needs to be exercised in thinking around and solving difficult real-life problems of all sorts.
3. WHEN I AM ECONOMICALLY MATURED
Before one marries, one must be a secure income earner. Adam was first given work to do in the garden before he was later given a wife. A jobless man cannot feed his wife. An idle wife would be an eternal burden on her husband especially in these inflationary days of ours. One’s expenditure patterns should be able to wisely discriminate between essential needs and frivolous expenditure. Economic resourcefulness is a virtue that should be caught because as one prepares for marriage, almost invariably there will be certain financial catastrophes. Nobody can ever predict what will happen in the course of the marriage.
4. WHEN I AM SOCIALLY MATURED
This relates to one’s ability to adjust to the environment, neighbours, in-laws, other acquaintances, etc. How well can your partner live at peace with others? Marriage introduces you to a wider social setting immediately. Children, in-laws, house-helps and other well-wishers flood your life almost overnight. A socially immature spouse is soon be known and discussed.
5. WHEN I AM SPIRITUALLY MATURED
Marriage responsibilities are enough to stretch any person and so it is only proper that a prospective spouse works towards establishing the right balance between God’s demands upon him/her and the demands of a family. Prayer, Bible study and the Quiet Time, commitment to church work and soul-winning are habits that must be cultivated before marriage responsibilities come.
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