“By law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive” (Romans 7:2).
Does your daughter need premarital counseling before she decides to get married? The answer to that question is “Yes!”
It is essential!
Recently, a friend of mine stopped by to chat. She cried as she explained that she and her husband were having marital problems. The husband wanted to save money to finish his education, find a home for their family and raise children. My friend wanted to help her parents and her brothers and sisters financially. She could not see the point in saving money when her family had such desperate needs.
I asked her if she and her husband had discussed these issues before they got married. She said they did, but they hadn’t taken each other seriously. Each thought the other person would change over time.
She was angry to see her extended family needing food and house repairs when she and her husband had the means to help them. Her husband was angry because she took his tuition money to buy her parents a new roof.
Now they are separated and she is brokenhearted. Can his marriage be saved? I hope so. Could this problem have been avoided? I think so.
Couples need to listen to each other carefully before they decide to get married. They should not be so blinded by their feelings that they do not think clearly. They must realize that both people will have to change in order to live together peacefully.
Premarital counseling can help couples realize the changes that must occur and show them healthy ways to make them.
Encourage your daughter or son to get counseling BEFORE they get married. They need wisdom and guidance before problems occur that seem to have no way out.
Kimberly Snider is a missionary to the Philippines.
From “Moments for Moms,” a free email subscription.
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