Matthew 19:10

“His disciples said to Him, ‘If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.’ ”

The disciples understood the message of Jesus, and it was not palatable to them at all, and in fact, marriage became unattractive based on this new revelation. May we so teach marriage that those who desire to marry are fully aware of the conditions of marriage, even before they step into it.

Unconditional love, repeated continual forgiveness are the conditions for marriage. If we want to have marriages that mirror God’s purpose, then these are the conditions. Nurturing personal hurts against your spouse will lead to bitterness, and bitterness can easily mature to unforgiveness, which ultimately produces hatred. There’s no point entering marriage for fleshly emotional reasons if we are going to end up in hatred because we cannot forgive. Offense is part of marriage, and unconditional forgiveness is the primary condition for any God-centered marriage. If we are unwilling to abide by this condition, then it is honestly better to stay celibate and unmarried.

“Father, I have chosen to marry, and I have chosen to abide by this condition. I need Your daily touch to keep me practicing unconditional forgiveness with my wife. This I ask, in Jesus name. Amen.”