Modern Day Definition of Marriage

Last Updated on October 21, 2024 by Joshua Isibor

 What is marriage?

Marriage is a symbolic union between a man and a woman. It involves two people unanimously coming together as husband and wife. Marriage is a sacred union between two parties (male and female). By the word sacred, I mean sacrosanct, divine, holy, inviolable, and consecrated. It’s a union to be valued, cherished, adored, and respected by the two persons involved.

Marriage is sweet, interesting, lovely, and appreciated if and only if the two parties agree to make it work. You can make your marriage how you want it, but the question is, are you ready and willing to pay the price? Are you just after the rosy part of marriage?

Before going into this union called marriage, there are some questions you should ask yourself and answer by yourself.

Questions like:

🌟 What exactly is marriage?

🌟 Am I ready for marriage?

🌟 How prepared am I for marriage?

🌟 What knowledge have I acquired about marriage?

🌟 What exactly am I after in marriage, (companionship or procreation or both)?

🌟 Do I really love this person I want to settle down with?

🌟Am I financially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually stable to get married?

🌟 Can I withstand the ups and downs in marriage?

🌟 Can I tolerate my partner’s excesses?

These questions and more are very important for you to meditate on and answer sincerely before you work down the aisle and say “Yes I do”.

Questions to ask before getting married

1. What exactly is marriage?

Like I said earlier, marriage is a sacred union between two people who agree to be joined in holy matrimony. Presently, people have a different picture of marriage entirely. Before you make up your mind to get married, you should and must have a good knowledge of marriage because when you have a proper understanding of what you are going into, you will surely know how to perform your duties as expected.

Marriage is a union created by God for man for the sole purpose of companionship and procreation. Your union brings you together to help, appreciate, love, and understand each other as soulmates. Your purpose of getting married should be known, either for companionship or procreation or both. If this is not stated as it suits you both, the purpose of your marriage will be lost.

This is where most couples make mistakes, they fail to define what kind of relationship they want or how their marriage will look like. They just jump into marriage with little or no knowledge of what marriage is.

Marriage goes beyond the union of coming together as husband and wife; as couples, you are meant to complete, assist and help each other in all ramifications. It is a blissful union meant for soulmates (Divinely connected) to fill in the gap for each other. You practically help each other grow and make yourselves happy, through commitment, love, affection, care, and standing for each other.

2. Am I ready for marriage?

How ready are you for marriage? Are you actually prepared for marriage or a wedding? Maybe you are just after the beautiful wedding shower, accessories, wedding party, etc. A lot of people are only preparing for or are prepared for a wedding, not a marriage. They only have an idea of how to get beautiful stuff for their wedding but know little or nothing about the beautiful things to spice their marriage and make it work.

So, are you really ready for marriage? Or are you just prepared to flaunt your wedding outfits instead of your marriage to be a model of example to others and encourage people to build and have a beautiful, healthy marriage?

3. How prepared am I for marriage

Are you ready to support your partner? In marriage, you look out for your soulmate. You are no longer alone; you now have someone to care for. Are you ready to be a shoulder your partner can lean on? Can you stand for your partner and defend him/ her? Can you be someone to hold on to?

Are you ready to perform the duties expected of you as a wife or a husband? Answer these questions before you accept that marriage proposal. Marriage requires a lot of commitment. You should be ready to make sacrifices and be committed to each other.

4. What knowledge have I acquired about marriage?

Knowledge is power, the level of information you have about something determines how well you perform, marriage is like a school, but here you don’t graduate,”No graduation in marriage”.You continue to learn and make adjustments where necessary. Your knowledge about marriage will determine if your marriage will be successful or not.

Note: Knowledge here, is not just any form of fabricated information, it must be the right information, not all knowledge are helpful, some can destroy your marriage.

Seek knowledge from the right source, read books and learn from people whose marriages are glowing and fruitful.

5. What exactly am I after in marriage (Companionship and procreation)

Marriage is solely for the purpose of procreation and companionship, but this can be determined by you and your partner. Discuss what you want. If you guys want to bear kids or not.

A lot of people have issues in their homes because they fail to discuss some crucial things about what they want in a marriage. Your goal about marriage should be in line with that of your partner; selfish reasons should not come in. Two must agree to become one, and in marriage, you must agree on what you guys want and need.

ALSO, READ Before marriage questions for a healthy relationship

6. Do I really love this person I want to settle down with?

Love is a feeling, an emotion felt. inwardly, it connects you to your partner. Love is a great attraction. You must love your partner enough for you to spend the rest of your life with. The love you have for your partner should not be based on selfish reasons, true love that keeps you guys going even in tough times.

Love strengthens, heals, and binds you together. If you love shallowly, your union will be shallow and not productive. When I say love, I mean deep and affectionate love for your partner, which assures security, approval, and commitment. Without this kind of love, you can’t be committed to your partner.

Love is not selfish, hurtful, deceitful, painful, or wicked; love is joy, peace, in-depth happiness, sacrifice, and commitment. When you love genuinely, your partner becomes your major priority.

7.Am I financially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually stable to get married?

What is your financial status like? Can you boast of taking care of yourself? How much more can another person do? Your financial state counts before you consider marriage. You can’t be planning to get married, and you have a lot of unpaid bills. The financial crisis has become the order of the day in most homes, which sometimes leads to divorce. You should consider your income because you have a lot of needs and bills to take care of together.

Emotional stability affects your marriage positively or negatively. If you are still emotionally broken, it’s not advisable to enter marriage. If your heart is filled with hatred, deal with it first. Don’t enter marriage in such a state; otherwise, how do you intend to show love when you can’t let go of the past hurts?

Your physical stability, both health-wise, & mentally, all together are what makes you complete as a human. Your brain must be active and ready to settle with your partner.

Spiritually, do you guys connect body, spirit, and soul? You must be at the same level in this aspect else your relationship will suffer.

8. Can I tolerate the ups and downs in marriage?

Marriage is full of ups and downs, the moment you acknowledge that all your marital fears are over. You and your partner are two polar, different people with a different temperament, personalities, and characters; you should be ready to tolerate the different phases that show up in your marriage.

Every marriage has its beautiful moments and challenging moments. Your ability to withstand, tolerate, and solve your problems together makes your marriage successful and unique.

9. Can I tolerate my partner’s excesses?

As I mentioned earlier, you and your partner are two polar opposites. What you like might be what he or she dislikes. Marriage creates room for adjustments where and when necessary. You must learn to tolerate, understand, and adjust because marriage is for better or worse until death does your part.

You and your partner are not perfect, but you can make a perfect marriage through mutual respect, commitment, understanding, and affection.

Modern-day marriage in the present society

Most marriages today have become a charade, couples now take marriage as employment. when they are fed up, they quit and seek another partner, like a job hunter, but the question is how long will you continue to “Spouse hunt”.”

Marriage is not a bed of roses”, but today most people have failed to understand this fact, you can’t possibly get everything you wished for, no one is perfect, you are not also perfect, and your partner has some flaws is not enough reason to leave because you don’t know how the next person you are “Spouse hunting for” will be, even flaws has its benefits, for example, stubborn people are good decision makers and overly organized people are good at paying bills on time.

The majority don’t take into consideration these things mentioned above, which is why most marriages are suffering today, and the rate of divorce cases is increasing by the day. Marriage is now assumed to be a contract, when you have finally gotten what you want selfishly or you are tired or no longer satisfied with the said contract, you file for a divorce.

Marriage has lost its sense of value and dignity, they say is not a do-or-die affair and as such no mutual respect, understanding, genuine love and affection, tolerance, honesty, sincerity, and fidelity, which are basically the building blocks for a healthy and happy marriage. Couples fail to understand the importance of the fundamentals of marriage, they want everything at a plater of gold, no one wants to pay the price and make sacrifices that will make the marriage blissful. Marital issues are not settled, instead of sorting things out maturely and amicably, matters of importance or concern are swept under the rug.

Communication gap is a major barrier in marriage, lack of communication destroys relationships and no matter what you do, the bond that once existed begins to diminish. Couples live their lives based on assumption, you assume your partner is supposed to know and actually he or she doesn’t. Men and women reason, react and behave differently, the male psychology is different from that of females. You may feel your actions are right, but in the sight of your partner, it’s wrong and hurtful, and you wouldn’t know without proper communication.

When last did you care about your partner’s emotions before acting? you only care about yourself and how things fit you. Love is meant to be mutual, caring, and respectful, and if you can’t treat your partner right then it’s no longer love.

Marriage has become a game and a field for infidelity, couples have turned their union as a means for gambling, they gamble with their partner’s emotions. Faithfulness is a key factor for a successful marriage. When one party decides to break that vow, a marriage crisis arises. You can’t possibly love your partner and continually cheat on them, knowing it will break them into pieces. Infidelity breaks the marriage bond. Cheating is not a gender thing; men or women are permitted to cheat or have a better reason to cheat. Your marital vow is to be faithful to your partner till death do you part. Infidelity sows a seed of discord in marriage. The joy and peace of marriage are lost when one party becomes unfaithful.

The issue of disrespect has become a thorn in the flesh in marriage. Couples fail to acknowledge the importance of mutual respect.” Respect is reciprocal” is not meant for a particular gender. Most couples lack this attribute. They have little or no respect for their spouse. They speak to their partner so rudely, even in public. They practically abuse their partner and criticize whatever they do, not minding their feelings.

Never deny your partner the respect they deserve. Remember that respect is given to whom respect is due, so for you to be respected, you must earn it. You don’t expect your partner to respect you when you don’t behave responsibly. You must be worthy of respect first before you can be respected because your responsible attitude triggers respect from your partner.

This generation is so proud that when you emphasize respect, they don’t even see why respect should be a matter of concern in marriage. The fact that you both are married and have become one doesn’t mean you should not value, appreciate, and respect your partner. Respect is an asset in Marriage; it’s one of the key factors that determines the life span of your marriage.

Marriage is a blessing and as such demands a lot of sacrifices, if you don’t truly have your partner at heart you will never see the reason to make sacrifices. Some couples are so self-centred; all they know is how to satisfy and please themselves; they can never compromise when necessary just to make their partner happy, but they would want their partner always to please them whether it’s convenient for them or not. You can’t expect to receive when you don’t give out. You receive what you give, when you become selfish your marriage becomes stunted.

Family crises are inevitable, but they become a tug-of-war when there is no commitment. How committed are you to your partner? Are you committed to time? Are you committed to your partner’s needs? Do you really care about your partner?

Whenever you plan to go out on a date, do you always keep to time, show up late, or do you don’t show up at all? When you can’t make it, do you give notice before time or just ignore it? Do you apologize when you are wrong, or wait to be told before you reluctantly apologize without being remorseful? These are questions you should ask yourself and answer sincerely. Your level of commitment ascertains how successful your marriage will be.

For your marriage to work, there must be mutual commitment, you plan together, agree together, and execute your plans together as one. Instead of couples agreeing they continually disagree and fight at every slightest provocation over something that can be easily handled. The day you “Say I do” you have signed up for a total commitment to your partner.

ALSO, READ 41 Keys to a successful marriage

Today couples don’t see the reason to fight for each other and make their marriage work, marriage is now seen as a car or clothes you can easily change when it’s faded or obsolete. Divorce has become a very good option, I am not saying there are no good reasons to divorce, which could be as a result of infidelity or abuse.

Marriage requires a lot of work to make it work, you don’t give up working, even when everything seems well, you still need to work and nurture your marriage.

Marriage is like farmland, where a farmer cultivates crops. The amount of work he puts in determines the type and quantity of crops he will harvest, and even after harvesting, he stores the crops to avoid spoilage. Marriage should be guided by jealousy. If you can’t put in your best, then you can’t expect a blissful marriage.

Your partner should be your major priority, they are to be valued and cherished and not to be treated like a handbag that can be dumped after been used to your satisfaction. Marriage is a lifetime journey and commitment, you don’t just discard it because you don’t feel that person anymore. Your partner is your better half and bet me, you can’t discard your better half because you don’t feel like keeping it anymore.

“Marriage is like a “SIM Card” and the SIM’s network, Marriage is the sim card and your partner is like the network” no matter how old the sim card looks you don’t discard or let go, even if the network fluctuates and is unstable, you are always patient enough to wait for it to stabilize, reason because the “SIM card” is important to you, you have a lot of info stored inside and so you wouldn’t let it go.

Patience is a virtue needed in marriage and as a couple, if you lack this, your marriage can never be blissful. Couples are so quick to file for a divorce even when they can calm their storm amicably.

Most people before marriage already concealed divorce in their mind, they already have the mindset that once you fall out of love with your partner, or you are no more attracted to your partner, or you guys have unresolved issues then you can file for a divorce. Such people can never be committed in their marriage, they feel is not so important, so once they are tired with their partner they just take a walk in another direction.

Marriage is actually “for better for worse”. you are the only one who can determine the state of your marriage. If you want the best then put in your best. Every marriage has its own storm, your duty is to calm the storm and let peace come in and not to ignore the storm or abandon your partner.

People have become so accustomed to quitting, this a selfish generation where people are so concerned about themselves. People are so career and socially conscious forgetting about family. Gone are the days when people valued family and put them first. We have become so selfish that we only care about ourselves and leave our loved ones behind. I am not saying you shouldn’t pursue your career, but the issue of the “me! me!! me!!” mentality has eaten us so deep that commitment is no longer valued, they are only after what they want and can get which can be correlated to the failed marriages and increase in divorce cases. If you so see marriage as an investment then being committed and putting in enough work would mean a good dividend in your marriage. Compromise is a difficult concept when it’s so easy to quit when you can’t have your way if we can’t let go of our selfish desires, then there will be an increase in failing marriages and divorce will be inevitable.

The ideal kind of marriage?

The ideal kind of marriage is not all about respect, love, flirting around, having a fun time together, it also involves disagreeing and agreeing. Marriage is not all about butterflies and rainbows, but going through all that and still being committed to each other, coming out and holding hands on the other side of the wind is rainbows and butterflies and unicorns too.

An ideal marriage is one in which both parties mutually respect, understand, and are committed to each other. They stand by each other, tolerate each other, and are sincere, faithful, and honest to each other. These things are the key players in a healthy relationship and Marriage. It might sound antiquated, but you will agree with me that it’s better to have a peaceful and happy marriage than go through the process of divorce.

An ideal marriage doesn’t lack sincere communication. Communication is the only means you can share your feelings and discuss and settle your differences. We blame technology for the cause of the communication gap, people no more sit face to face to listen to their loved ones, they prefer social media communication. The act of visual communication makes it easier to express yourself and your emotions are seen and felt from your facial expressions and body language.

The communication gap breaks the union and bond and slowly the love you once felt is gone, communication strengthens marriage when there is a crisis. Disagreeing to agree, accepting that you are at fault, and taking corrections without mixed feelings make your relationship stronger and healthier.

ALSO, READ Causes of Lack of communication problem in marriage and in relationships

Food for thought

🌟 Love is not a foundation for marriage, but marriage is a foundation for love. Love alone cannot guarantee a peaceful marriage.

🌟 Understanding, faithfulness, trust, patience, unity, honesty are the key players for a successful marriage

🌟 Communication is one of the building blocks for a healthy marriage

🌟 Beauty only attracts but virtues keep the marriage.

🌟 There is no graduation in marriage, you keep learning.

🌟 Marriage requires a lot of work, you never stop working.

🌟 Commitment is an obligation or duty for couples to build a strong relationship.

🌟 Divorce should not be an option,try to work out your marriage.

🌟 Make the right choice of a life partner, never settle with someone for selfish reasons.

🌟 Learn to forgive always.

🌟 Make your partner your major priority.

🌟 Learn to always agree even after disagreeing.

🌟 Avoid pretentious attitude in courtship, be yourself, let your partner see and accept you for who you are.

A Little more piece

Marriage is a divine union of holy matrimony. Love alone cannot sustain a marriage. Your commitment, understanding, fidelity, sincerity, and respect for each other are what will keep you going. Divorce should never be an option, except in cases of infidelity and abuse. Above all, learn to forgive and always prioritize your partner in your life. Be ready and willing to listen to your partner, and together, always agree and treat each other as one.

Your marriage can become the best and exactly what you wished for if you are ready to work and commit to each other.

Lastly, no marriage is without storms because you are two different people with different temperaments, characters, personalities, and backgrounds. Be willing to complete each other and make adjustments where necessary. Always remember that marriage is a lifetime commitment and investment. If you believe it’s an investment, then put in your best to get a positive outcome. Spice up your marriage and let it be a model for others.

ALSO, READ 5 REASONS YOU SHOULDN’T HIDE YOUR PHONE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP

Originally posted 2021-06-21 22:11:23.