By Emeka Odogwu
The Diocesan Bishop, Anglican Diocese of All Nations (Anglican Church in North America) Houston, Texas,Bishop Felix Orji, OSB has expounded the logic of marriage between one man and one woman.
He said: “Marriage is between one man and one woman for as long as you both shall live. Homosexual marriages are not God’s will- they are sinful. Polygamy is not the will of God, even though he allowed it for a while, just as he allowed some other things in the Old Testament for a season but no longer.
“Celibacy or singleness is good and divinely blessed states of living. But if you decide to marry, then, you must marry only one opposite sex person and plan to stay faithful to him/her till death. That is the perfect will of God for us.
There are always challenges in marriage; so don’t think you are the only one having problems. Neither you, nor your spouse, was or is or will be perfect- both of you have problems! So, prayerfully man-up and woman-up and address your problems with kindness, integrity, honesty, patience and hopefulness.
‘Don’t be quick to run off and break the vows you made before God because bad decisions have bad consequences. Don’t listen to the voice of Satan or ungodly friends and bad relatives. Sometimes you need to adjust your expectations, swallow your pride, and sink your selfishness so that your relationship will work. It is very very important to apologize for doing wrong to your spouse and actually show that repentance, by doing and speaking what is right and good thenceforth.
He concluded: “A good marital relationship hinges on being kind, respectful, gracious, forgiving, considerate, intimate, and resisting the temptation to nagging, controlling impulse, abusive behaviour, secretiveness, and bad temper. Don’t enter into marriage to always have your way or use your spouse to achieve your personal goals irrespective of his/her needs or the impact it has on him/her.
It is not godly or rational to selfishly demand sex from or deny sex to your spouse whenever you feel like. There needs to be kindness and sweet reasonableness in matters of sex, so that there is room for beautiful and dutiful sex with mature self-control and joyful satisfaction.
“Marriage is about sharing responsibilities in the home, and genuinely loving, helping, and caring for each other, in word and deed with patience, understanding, and goodwill for each other’s well-being. Start today to hug your spouse every day and see what happens.
“Remember God is with you in your struggle and he will bless you both, as you strive and journey together for his glory!”
