Plain Truth: Unmasking the challenges facing marriage today

Date: 22 August 2014   Read: 1947

Marriage and family life are losing the spark and value they used to command in the old days. You often hear of couples divorcing or killing each other in the name of love, to a point that children grow up despising the marriage institution.

It is common in our times to hear of children who vow not to get married in their lifetime, because of the trauma experienced at home and in society. What has gone wrong with our society? Why is it that the  institution of marriage and family life are deteriorating at a rapid rate?

Marriage is under constant attack from the devil. There is no doubt about that. I would like to use this article to point out at some of the snares that the devil is using to lure people out of their marriages, namely:

(1) promotion of a culture which undermines the value of marriage and family in society;

(2) young girls and boys are no longer interested in engaging their peers but married people. They are better off with married men or women than dating or engaging their peers;

(3) the love of money has prompted so many married people to desert their families for those with serious financial muscles. The affluenza virus to have more material possessions, as driven by the spirit of consumerism, is sweeping the globe and also targeting marriages. While some people are interested in marrying those who are wealthy, others prefer to remain single when they are rich and wealthy. In the process, they opt to hunt for any man or woman that they want. There are people who go around boasting that they can get any man or woman that they want by just flashing their dollars.

(4) lack of discipline on the part of married men and women, especially when they are not sexually fulfilled in their marriages. Instead of seeking help, they opt out in order to search for greener pastures somewhere else;

(5) the influence of the media is also used by the devil to destroy as many marriages and families as possible. Explicit pornography shown on TV channels is not meant to enhance intimacy in the marriage context but to destroy it. Pornography is very addictive and those who are hooked to it end up losing their marriages and families;

(6) the excessive use of social networks is destroying many marriages. It is easy to connect and get hooked to someone on Facebook, to the point of even starting an affair with such a person. There are so many marriages going under because of social networks;

(7) the virus that I call “busyology” is killing many marriages. People are too busy to pay attention to their marriages and families anymore. Failure to balance work and family is part of this virus which is destroying marriage institution;

(8) lack of proper communication in marriage is one of the underlying factors as to why many marriages are falling apart. We no longer have a sense of respect as couples.
This list is not meant to be exhaustive but to open our eyes to see the reality of things happening in our midst. These are also not written just to expose the wrongs and ills in our society but to make a passionate plea for all of us to rise to the challenge and save our marriages.

Our next article will therefore focus on: “Save your marriage campaign”. - [email protected]