NO MATTER HOW POPULAR, SOCIABLE AND WELL LOVED you were before marriage, once you’re married you must understand that you are now a new person, have a new status and are in a unique covenant relationship.
Whereas you were “Miss Popularity” whom almost all the boys freely hugged, embraced, touched and held by the hand as they pleased
because you were “such a free minded socialite”; once you’re married, all that must stop and very quickly too. Why? Because you’re now married and belong exclusively to your Spouse. Refusal to recognize this has caused the calamitous fall of many marriages.
Perhaps, you were “King Campus” in your school days and all the girls freely hugged and embraced you. However, from the day you tied the knot with your wife, either in Church or only by traditional marriage, all those free hugging ought to stop.
The moment you got married, your entire body became your Spouse’s and vice versa.
Hear what the Bible says:
“A wife does not have the right over her own body, but her husband does. In the same way, a husband does not have the right over his own body, but his wife does.”(1 Corinthians 7: 4; CSB)
Some think that the scripture immediately above is only about sexual intimacy in marriage but that’s not true. It goes well beyond that.
Once you’re married, you must watch against getting hugged, embraced, held by the hand for long by persons of the opposite sex, except your Spouse and those you’re related to by blood. Obedience to this simple but very important marital rule will save you a lot of trouble.
Some may frown in protest against this devotional piece while silently asking “What kind of teaching is this? Is Marriage a bondage?” Oh, you didn’t know? Of course, Marriage is a “bondage”. A good “bondage” though. This is because, it’s a covenant life in which you and your Spouse are sworn to love each other and be faithful to one other till death parts you.
Or did you think that the Marriage Vows were just mere words? No. They were oaths of allegiance. Now, consider the following:
“I, John Bull, take thee Nancy to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till in death we part, and with this ring I thee wed, AND WITH MY BODY I THEE HONOR, and pledge my faithfulness”.
When you and your Spouse exchanged these vows on your wedding day, you had made a binding oath to be committed to each other with your BODIES, among other things. This being so, you shouldn’t be embraced, hugged, touched, and held by the hand freely by members of the opposite sex other your Spouse. When this is not the case, don’t be surprised if your husband or wife gets jealous and suspicious.
Love is like Fire and has two sides. The other side of Love is called JEALOUSY. It’s always there even though you may not see it in your Spouse for many years. But make no mistake to think that because your Partner is such a meek and God-fearing person he doesn’t have Jealousy in his Heart.
Our anchor scripture shows us that even God our Creator has JEALOUSY as part of His nature. Remember, He created us in His image and likeness. So, jealousy is a part of our love nature too
In the New Testament, we receive a revelation that GOD IS LOVE. And that makes the picture fuller and clearer for us. GOD IS LOVE but His other name is JEALOUS and He’s a Jealous God.
Similarly, your Spouse may be a Pastor, a Bishop, a Deacon, a Deaconess, etc. But when you are careless in your moral conduct, don’t be surprised when they become jealous or suspicious.
THINGS TO DO TO AVOID SUSPICION IN YOUR MARRIAGE
(1) LIVE A TRUTHFUL LIFE
When going out, let your mate know where you’re headed.
If you’re somewhat late in returning, give your Partner a phone call telling them you might be late in returning. Let this be your consistent practice whenever you’re somehow unable to return home on time from an outing.
Don’t be that husband who closes from work at 4.00 PM but doesn’t return home until 8: 00 PM. Living this way is wrong and gives the devil the opportunity he seeks to sow the seeds of discord, mistrust and suspicion in your marriage.
(2) AVOID YOUR PAST LOVERS LIKE A PLAGUE.
After you’re married, you have no business keeping a relationship with your so-called Ex or Exes. If they loved you so much, they should have married you. But now that you’re married to a different person, don’t cheapen yourself, your marriage and most of all your Spouse by keeping a relationship with such people. If you’re doing so unknown to your spouse, it’s treacherous and wicked. Please, stop it immediately!!!
Marriage demands that all your affection and devotion be focused on only one person and that’s your Spouse.
Some secretly reconnect with old sex partners on Facebook and are chatting with them. This is completely contrary to the spirit of marriage.
Marriage is like WORSHIP and that’s why it involves the deepest level of human intimacy which is Sex.
Just as God required the Israelites to worship Him and Him alone, so also does Marriage demand that you give the totality of your love, affection, passion, desire, romantic allegiance and sexual love to only one person: YOUR SPOUSE.
When you’re married and are still secretly conversing with your ex-lovers on phone and when your spouse sights you, you start running; know that you’re TRANSGRESSING. And when your Spouse asks who you were talking with on phone and you tell them it was with your Aunt: you’re lying and SINNING. Not just that, you’re breaking your marriage covenant and GOD DOESN’T TAKE THAT LIGHTLY.
There are Spouses who would NEVER allow their Spouse touch their phone. If your spouse does this, then there’s something they’re hiding.
(3) BE A KEEPER AT HOME
God’s Word tells wives:
“To be discreet, CHASTE, KEEPERS AT HOME, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”(Titus 2:5)
Among other things, wives are commanded in the verse above to be CHASTE and TO BE KEEPERS AT HOME.
Chaste here speaks about leading a life that’s morally pure. This should reflect in your dressing, demeanor and comportment. Truth be told: some married women have a penchant for dressing in lewd and suggestive attires. And when their husband objects to them going to town in such wears, they resist him. This isn’t right, Madam.
Some wives are in the habit of “going out”. Titus 2: 5 quoted above forbids this. Be a faithful and motherly housewife who stays at home except for business, church and other important calls of duty. Harlots and Adulteresses have itchy legs and can’t stay in one place. Don’t be like them. Hear what the Bible says about them:
“10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
11 (SHE IS LOUD AND STUBBORN; HER FEET ABIDE NOT IN HER HOUSE:
12 NOW IS SHE WITHOUT, NOW IN THE STREETS, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
If you are a married woman and you don’t want your husband to be suspicious of you, then obey Titus 2: 5. Be a “keeper at home”.
And husbands should also be at home once they’re done from work. It’s wrong for you to return home, eat lunch and be gone only to return at 10: 45 PM because you’re the head of the house. If your wife suspects you of infidelity, no one would blame her.
Husbands and wives must be men and women of honour who live transparent lives that are beyond reproach.
🔥🔥🔥 FAITH DECREE:
🔥LET THE WISDOM AND DISCRETION TO AVOID ANY CONDUCT THAT WILL FUEL JEALOUSY AND SUSPICION IN YOUR MARRIAGE BE IMPARTED ON EVERYONE READING THIS DEVOTIONAL PIECE!⚡
🍷🍗 TAKE-HOME LESSON: YOU BELONG TO YOUR SPOUSE. LIVE SUCH THAT NOTHING ON YOUR PART WILL AROUSE JEALOUSY AND SUSPICION IN THEIR HEART AGAINST YOU.
💕❤️ TONIGHT’S ONE FLESH ASSIGNMENT IN THE BEDROOM
Reread today’s devotional piece and discuss it.
🎼🎶🎻🪗🎶🎼
ANOINTED MUSIC SECTION