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Opinions of Thursday, 13 July 2017

Columnist: Jeffery Amo-Asare

The key to a fruitful marriage - Sacrifice!

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Marriage is a special gift God has given to mankind. Yet, it faces severe abuses each blessed day.

The attack on marriage confirms its power that’s, its ability to prevail and stand firm irrespective of the nature of attacks. Analyzing the benefits and impacts of marriage to individuals involved, societies and the nation as a whole, it therefore becomes each and everyone’s responsibility to help build that institution with all our might and strength.

It’s for the good of this country’s future to ensure that marriages are sustained and secured.

Marriage is a perfect example of a what sacrificial life means. Sacrifice in general, means, giving up a valuable substance to gain substance of a higher value.

Per this definition, one will find out that every day we offer sacrifices unknowingly. Assuming you gave out GHS 10,000 to purchase a land. This is a sacrifice. You gave something of worth (GHS 10,000) to gain a higher valued substance (land).

The problem comes when the perceived higher valued substance becomes less than the value of the substance which was sacrificed. When such a thing happens, people crave for the sacrificed substance.

In this case, when the value of the land purchased does not meet its standard, the one who purchased undoubtedly starts to desire the sacrificed object (GHS 10,000).

The scenario is regularly seen in marriages, perhaps, the cause of dissolution of many marriages. Irrespective of the reasons one entered into marriage, a sacrifice was made. People in marriages mean that upon all the women and men around them, they saw their partners as their higher valued persons and therefore, willingly gave up all others to gain their partners.

After spending a few moments in marriage and realized that the value of their partners had fallen below the value of people around them, they began to lose interest and desire to quit. Make a list of why people walked out of their marriages and you will find out that their partner’s standard grew below their expected value.

Carrying this concept of sacrifice into marriage is the resulting problem of marriages in this era. Yes, in other aspects of life, it might sound wise and easy to go for your sacrificed objects but in marriage, no matter the direction of the marriage, you don’t quit, you work together to lift the marriage to the standard of which you first found it.

It sounds difficulty? This makes marriage divine! You therefore, need God on your side to help you make such sacrifices because, “What is impossible with men is possible with God."

The problem with today’s young people or couples is the lack of knowledge of the nature of the sacrifices they are yet to undertake as they make the decision to marry.

Many people do not understand the gravity of the sacrifice they make before they tie the knot. Marriage, as stated by someone, is not a child’s play! It is a total different life in its own self! It is not a joke! It is a serious business!

If people are given the opportunity to really ponder over the nature of the sacrifice they are yet to make, problems in marriage will significantly be downsized. Marriage is not for selfish people; It is a total sacrifice.

Sacrifice in marriage means that both partners have agreed that no matter what may come their way, their love for each other will never change. Interesting!

They have decided to exchange all their pleasures, and desires of their partners because they believe that their partners are worth more than all their possessions, friends, family and everything around them. If they should lose all they have in this world to gain their partner, they will willingly do so.

The Bible explains it better in Ephesians 5:31 as they have become one flesh and in Ephesians 5:28 as their own bodies.

This type of sacrifice really is very powerful and later in the second session, we will realize that when marriage is lifted up high, you have lifted yourself higher and all aspects of your life enhance and become fruitful.

There is power in marriage that when it is well understood and permitted to live to its fullness, real joy and indescribable happiness are found that affect every aspect of your life.

Many people are now advocating that couples should be permitted to live together as a test their sexual potency before permitted to tie the knot. This is not a sacrifice! What this means is that you have exalted fertility and potency above your marriage. Sacrifice in marriage, says that, your marriage is your priority, pleasure and desires.

Sacrifice in marriage means that you enjoy your partner even more than food or sex or potency or beauty and so on. Sacrifice in marriage, says that no matter the circumstance you find yourself, your love for your partner will be more than all earthly desires and pleasures.

Sacrifice in marriage says, it is better to be with your partner in a jungle, than to have all pleasures of this world without your partner.

Someone may ask, “Does this sacrifice yield much?” The answer is Yes! In fact, the best way to enjoy great happiness in this life is to enjoy a fruitful marriage.

Watch out for part 2.