Beloved of God, marriage will expose parts of you that singleness may allow you to ignore. As a single person preparing for marriage, do not only prepare to find the right person. Prepare to become the kind of person who can sustain a healthy covenant. Marriage is not simply about finding someone who fits your expectations; it is also about allowing God to transform your character.
You may enter marriage believing you know yourself, only to discover that conflict reveals your patience, disappointment reveals your expectations, and intimacy reveals your fears. Your spouse should not become the person responsible for fixing everything you refused to confront before marriage. Take responsibility for your healing, emotional maturity, communication patterns and the wounds you carry from your past.
Transformation also means learning to love beyond convenience. There will be moments when your feelings change, expectations are unmet and your spouse sees things differently from you. What will guide you then? If you have only learned to love when everything feels good, you may struggle when covenant demands patience, forgiveness and sacrifice. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” — Romans 12:2
Allow the Holy Spirit to work on your attitudes before marriage. Let Him teach you humility without destroying your identity, submission without losing your voice, leadership without control, and partnership without competition. Your future marriage should not become a battlefield where two wounded people demand that the other person change first.
As you prepare for marriage, ask yourself honestly: What in me still needs to be transformed? What patterns must I surrender to Christ? What have I normalized that could damage the person I marry? Marriage can become a place of beautiful growth, but you must be willing to grow. Do not only pray for the right spouse; prepare to become a healthy covenant partner.
Hope Expression Values You
Apostle Prince Victor Matthew
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