Marriage

How Can The Church Better Help Couples?

by Janice S Ramkissoon 
02/14/25
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Man will fail, God never fails
[In contribution to Marriage Week 2025]


Always remember that as parents (and spouses) we are imperfect beings. Mistakes will be made. We will sin against each other. However, even in those moments, lessons are being learned directly or indirectly. Home is the training ground for our children as well as the training ground to develop our leadership skills. Parental love, including the discipleship we provide, is God's gift to our children. Let's disciple them well.


Where we lack wisdom, James 1 verse 5 encourages us to ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault. Proverbs has a lot to say about wisdom. A family friend encouraged our son to read a Proverb a day during his early teen years. We started that as a family, many years ago and are gaining new insight each time we read and discuss as a family.


Our parents may not have had the wisdom needed in their parenting but we have access today to resources that can help us along the way. Let's utilise those resources and as we educate ourselves we can become better spouses and better parents as we continue to grow as individuals. This is one of the ways in which we can love our neighbour as ourselves (Luke 10:27).


Nevertheless, Jesus, the God-Man, is the perfect example. Follow His lead.

Honouring Marriage


Marriage is to be honoured by all (Heb. 13:4) and that knowledge has to be instilled at home. Parents are the ones given the responsibility to train up our children in the way they should go (Prov. 22:6). Marriage and parenting goes hand in hand.


To say, 'He's a lovely father, but a terrible husband/spouse'  or 'He's a wonderful husband/spouse but a terrible father' is an oxymoron. The same is to be said of the woman in her role as a wife and her role as a mother. Children learn what they live. Much is caught, not taught and they go on to live what they have learned.


So in closing, I'd like to encourage the church to see the beauty in encouraging health in families. Our volunteers and paid staff comes from our homes. If our homes are healthy so will our churches be.


As a wife and a mother, without the love and support of extended family, I embraced the teachings of the Bible and looked to the church for support. Unfortunately, the support that was available was not the support I personally needed.


My marriage needed an injection of life and nothing was provided in the way of marital support. I spent most of my time serving in various ministries within the church, to the point of burnout, and I am still waiting to be the recipient of such grace.


I then encouraged my husband to reach out to a leader in the church we were attending at the time. We sat with that leader and my husband came away with the advice that, "Marriage is a contract you can get out of, if it doesn't work." They both seem to truly believe that, and while they were engaging in banter and laughter, I was weeping inside.


Continue reading in part 3 ~ Contract or Covenant?