🏝️🏝️🏝️🏝️🏝️Even though marriage was instituted to wipe out “aloneness” from the life of man and to create a new world of love, conviviality, and companionship, there are traits that you must expel from your personal life as a person; otherwise, they will make you an “island,” and your spouse will find you difficult or even impossible to blend with, as it ought to be in matrimony.

🏝️💚You must have heard the saying, “No man is an island.” It is not found in the pages of the Bible, but it is perfectly true nonetheless. And as far as your marriage is concerned, you must do all you can not to be an “island” spouse.

🏝️🏝️🏝️🏝️🏝️ABSOLUTELY FUNDAMENTAL
One of the most fundamental Scriptures on married life is Genesis 2:24, where God commanded husband and wife to leave their parents and cleave to each other. Today, we shall be looking at some things that can make a spouse difficult for their partner to CLEAVE to, as God commanded. And if the spouse harbouring those toxic traits does not repent of them, empty their life of them, and embrace the attributes of love, their marriage may ultimately hit the rocks.

🏝️💚Those queer traits are represented in this piece by the acronym ISLAND.

🏝️🏝️🏝️🏝️🏝️THE TOXIC COMPONENTS OF “ISLAND”

🏝️(1) I: INSENSITIVITY, ISOLATION
“I” stands for any of these toxic attitudes: Insensitivity and Isolation.

🏝️💚Isolation is pushing people away and avoiding connection for one reason or another. But the truth is that marriage was instituted to do away with isolation and to create a world of connection where the language will be: US, WE, OUR, and OURS, and not ME, MY, and MINE.

🏝️💚Are you that spouse who buries your head and attention in your phone, work or hobby, and finds being together and sharing happy moments with your marriage partner a disturbance? If so, you are suffering from the malady called “I”!

🏝️💚“I” also stands for Insensitivity, which is one of the reasons a spouse would bury their head and attention in their phone, office work or personal interests for long hours, talking to themselves and laughing at all the funny things they see on their device, not minding that their mate—a living and breathing human being whom they married and vowed to love—needs to be conversed with, touched, listened to, cared for, or loved tenderly.

🏝️💚When you are insensitive, it robs you of much of your humanity and easily gives you away as calloused, hardened, and having a dead conscience.

🏝️💚Dear reader, are you harbouring any of these “I”s in your life today? You need to repent of them and embrace Togetherness (Companionship) and Sensitivity (Neighbourliness, Empathy, and Fellow Feeling).

🏝️🏝️🏝️🏝️🏝️(2) S: SELF-CENTREDNESS
I once travelled from Ibadan to Lokoja in Kogi State, Nigeria, with a fellow who was to disembark at Okene.

🏝️💚By the time we got to Okene, instead of stepping out of the vehicle so that the rest of us could continue our journey, he started talking the driver into proceeding into the city. The driver, being a kind-hearted fellow, obliged him. He then went on to tell him to turn in another direction.

🏝️💚After a while, I could see that the fellow was a very mean, manipulative, and self-centred individual who cared nothing about the other passengers continuing their journey but wanted the driver to drop him right in front of his house.

🏝️💚That ugly trait did not start in him that day. It had been there, perhaps for years. Unfortunately, some people bring this poisonous behaviour into marriage. All they care about is themselves: their ambition, their vision, their ministry, their goal for the year, their sexual appetite, or their resolve to live a sexless life henceforth, even though they are married.

🏝️💚Self-centredness is not just a bad behaviour; it is a sickness, and no one should bring this sick and sickening attitude into marriage.

🏝️💚The opposite of self-centredness is selflessness or unselfishness. These mean putting the needs and well-being of others before your own. Oh, how so noble!

🏝️💚As a newly born-again Christian in 1980, I was taught that the secret of JOY is: JESUS first, OTHERS next, and YOU last. We were also taught that this lifestyle is the key to happiness. And indeed, it is.

Jesus said:

📖“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

📖“For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

🏝️💚Do you want a truly happy marriage? Embrace unselfishness and always be considerate of your partner in all you say and do.

🏝️🏝️🏝️🏝️🏝️CONCLUSION
In marriage, you are there primarily to minister to one another. Do not seek to be served; seek instead to serve your mate, and they will be inspired and motivated to serve you also, because love begets love, and honour begets honour.

🏝️💚By God’s grace, we shall continue this teaching tomorrow.

🏝️💚Please, endeavour to click on the link for tomorrow’s devotional to read and be blessed.🏝️🏝️

💕♥️Tonight’s Bedroom Assignment:Re-read this devotional together just before bedtime and discuss it with open and sincere hearts.

 ✝️Altar Call:Jesus Christ is calling you! Come to Him today in genuine repentance. Believe in Him and be saved!

🧪⚗️Scientific Info To Boost Your Marriage:
🔬”Studies (such as those published in the Annals of Tourism Research) show that when couples share novel, interesting, or mildly challenging experiences away from home, it triggers a psychological process called self-expansion. Expanding your worldview together leads to higher post-vacation passion, stronger emotional closeness, and renewed satisfaction.”🔬

📢HALLELUJAH!
🎷PRAISE THE LORD!

💚🏝️Please, share THE LINK of this devotional to ten of your friends and contacts who are married!✝️💜🛐