When someone wants to become a medical doctor or a lawyer, he spends time, energy and resources for 6 to 10 years studying and preparing in order to be qualified to practice effectively. This person comes out qualified and also succeeds in his practice because overtime, he had prepared well for it. We succeed in those things we prepare for.
But we have many people entering into marriage without a single preparation yet they want to succeed. It’s not possible. We fail in those things we don’t prepare for. Marital success and fulfillment is not by accident, chance or luck it is a product of solid preparation. If you want to succeed in marriage, then you’ve got to prepare for it just like you go to school to get trained and prepared for a particular course.
The importance of preparation to the success of anything is nonnegotiable. Below are 7 preparations you need to make before you marry:
1. Spiritual Preparation
God is the Inventor of marriage and if you want to succeed in it, then you must be close to the Inventor. Hear me, many marriages have crashed because they lack divine covering. When your marriage is not under God’s watch and authority, the devil can do anything he wants with it. So, get prepared spiritually by making sure you’re a true child of God and that you have a divine covering over your marriage.
2. Physical Preparation
You must learn how to take care of your physical appearance, your dressing, your health, your shape, your hair and all that.
Though, this is not an excuse but many have cheated on their partners because they are unkempt, they look tattered and battered. Especially some women, immediately they got married, they stop paying little or no attention to their physical appearance. They start tying wrapper up and down with their hairs unkempt. Try your best to look neat and take care of your physical appearance.
3. Emotional Preparation
This is another important preparation you must make if you must succeed in marriage. Many people have ended their marriages because of their inability to control and manage their emotions. Some have killed their partners, others have turned their partners to punching bags.
Therefore, before you marry learn to how to control and manage your emotions. Read books on emotional intelligence, anger management and emotional outburst.
4. Financial Preparation
Marriage has a lot of financial responsibilities hence the need to be financially prepared. House rents, utilities bills, school fees, baby food, hospital bills, feeding, etc., are some of the financial responsibilities involved in marriage.
So, prepare financially. Work. Learn a skill. Learn to make, manage and multiply money. Have at least one steady source of income. If possible, make investments. When there is money, marriage dey sweet. Money is a major stakeholder in marriage. Make no mistake about it.
5. Intellectual Preparation
In Proverbs 24:3-4 the Bible says that, By wisdom a house is built, by understanding it is established and through knowledge its room are filled with treasures.
According to the late Myles Munroe, knowledge is the key to successful marriage. True saying. Get knowledge about marriage. Read books, attend seminars, get counseling, listen to tapes and anything you can find on marriage to help you prepare.
6. Capacity Development
Marriage carries responsibilities and the level of your capacity will determine how well you handle these responsibilities.
Toilets, plates, bathrooms etc., don’t wash themselves. Rooms don’t sweep themselves. Babies don’t take care of themselves. Food doesn’t cook itself. People are the ones that will do these things. So, prepare yourself now. Learn to do these things now. Develop the capacities and abilities now.
7. Character Development
Cultivating good character now is another good preparation you need to make before you marry. Bad character destroys marriage. Character will either make or mar your marriage.
Eliminate every bad character that can destroy your marriage. Every selfish tendencies must be dealt with. Bad mouth must stop now. Your character either shortens or prolongs your marriage. Work on your character. Prepare for your marriage. Remember, the best time to prepare for it is now.
Christianity 