ACHIEVING ALL ROUND PEACE IN YOUR HOME
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
There is no doubt that God initiated the idea of marriage. In doing this, He also did a lot of strategic planning to ensure that man dwelt in peace. One of the first things God did was to create all that man needs and all that will make life easy and pleasurable for him. It was after settling this that he created man and placed him in charge of them all. Furthermore, God must have reasoned that man cannot readily cleave to trees and animals or rivers hence, he created only a woman to be a companion, friend, confidant and helper. Gen. 2:24. Despite this very laudable plan however, not all men have truly cleaved to their wives. Some still go to receive instructions from their parents which are quite inimical to the peace of their homes. We still have wives who take the opinion of friends or parents into cognizance, contrary to what their husbands want. This cannot make for peace in the home.
In addition, God created a man and formed a woman (not women) from his ribs. In his wisdom, God knew that no man can show equal love and endearment to two or more women. Gen. 2:22. Jacob became a father of several children due to rivalry and undue competition of a polygamous home. This should be a lesson to children of God who are either wishing for a divorce or are covetous enough to be desiring another person’s wife/husband.
The moment man was created, God gave him a direct command to be fruitful,
multiply, have dominion and replenish the earth. Gen. 1:22. In other words, man is to add value to where God has placed him. To do this effectively, the two must interact and have rapport. They need to disagree where need be and agree again to move forward. No one is to dominate the other. Many homes have lost peace because they have chosen not to engage in effective and meaningful communication. When the devil sees there is a communication gap in a home; he comes in and fills it with lots of junks; setting father against mother and parents against their children. This we must not allow. Parents should set aside time to discuss and share ideas with their children. Give them room to express their views. Let them make mistakes and take correction.
Another strategy God adopted in order to ensure that man achieves peace is
through his covenant. God placed man on a test of obedience by telling him to
freely eat of every tree of the garden but to run away from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Gen. 2:16–17. Trouble took the place of peace when man gave the devil a chance to move him away from the plan and instruction of God. When man lost peace, he went into hiding. Marriage is about following divine guidelines. The moment a couple deviates from it, there will be trouble.
There is no excuse or reason whatsoever why man must not enjoy peace on earth because God has given to man everything that pertains to life and godliness which comes through knowledge. Man was foolish enough to toe the path of rationalization when God confronted him with his sins. The man blamed God and the woman, the woman passed the blame to the serpent. Gen. 3:12–13.
Blame game has not been known to solve any problem. Couples must put their
differences aside and work for solution. When wine got finished at the marriage of Cana in Galilee, people approached the mother of Jesus, others went to fetch water as instructed. John 2:7. Miracles would not have happened if all concerned did not play their roles well. How well are you playing your role as a husband, wife or children?
