Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. (Hebrews 13:4 )
Marriage can be a beautiful thing, but are you prepared for the ups and downs that marriage offers? Both parties must be willing to compromise.
Your relationship should be an open book, no secrets, no hidden agendas. Everything’s out in the open.
Before you can truly determine if you are ready for marriage take a step back and answer these questions first:
Is God the center of your relationship?
God must be the center of your relationship, if you want it to work. The threefold cord consist of: You, your mate, and God. He strengthens all bonds.
Pray about your relationship. Give everything over to God. Let God know that you are asking His approval.
Are you equally yoked?
A lot of times couples go into marriages with these types of challenges and then are surprised when the marriage doesn’t work.
Are you emotionally available for a relationship?
Have you moved on from your past divorce or most recent break up?
Be careful not to bring your past relationship problems into your current relationship. Or maybe in your current relationship while dating, you’ve had to face some challenges.
Ask yourself, “are they behind you?” Have you truly forgiven your mate’s past actions?
If the answer is no, Maybe it’s best that you not rush into marriage.
Are you willing to make the compromises to be a “we” instead of a “me?
“Marriage is all about compromising. For two people to work together as a team, each member must give and take once in a while. But many of us have no idea how to compromise.
I’m not saying you should compromise when it comes to your beliefs or morals. But then again, If you’re equally yoked, you won’t have to.
Have you identified and communicated your needs and expectations?
Don’t assume that your mate should know how you feel, what you need, or what you want. Starting a family right away may be #1 on your list, but is it even on his list?.
In your mind, you’ve already decided that you’re going to take the first couple of years off work to be a stay at home mom, but does he know this?
Couples that communicate openly and effectively tend to have stronger, more successful marriages. And some conversations about things like kids, money and religion are important to have before you say “I do”.
What is your main reason for wanting to get married?
Often times we get married with good intentions, but are they really good reasons to get married?
Wanting the wedding of your dreams is fine, but what happens when the honeymoon is over?
Are you more focused on the wedding or the marriage?
Make sure you’re not getting married, just to be able to say you’re married.
The goal is not just to get married, but to stay married.
