Living a progressive life and having a progressive marriage or relationship has a lot to do with you.
You notice all through the ministry of Jesus and the whole of scripture, He always refer to individual, your faith has made you whole.
The faith of the woman with the issue of blood took her off her situation; It was the faith of the shunammite woman that brought her only son back to her. Her son was dead, but she refused to pronounce him dead, not even to her own husband. While she was on her way to see Prophet Elisha, he sent his servant to her to ask “is it well with your husband, is it well with your son” she replied, it is well; and that became of them. See 2 kings 4: 8- 36 for the full story.
Progress and success in life is always personal, it is something that has to do with you.
Jesus says “the poor you will always have around you” because some people will always refuse responsibility for their success and progress.
Keys to living a progressive life are —
- Love yourself: The bible says “love your neighbor as you loved yourself”.
No one can become a better person until they first fall in love with who they are. You will notice most people that have complex are usually haters.
Loving yourself means loving who you are, and what you have. A lot of women are not a good wife because they do not love the man in their life; they prefer what is in another. They always use this statement, can’t you see how Mary’ husband treat her?
To have a progressive relationship and marriage, you must begin from your inside. Whosoever loves his or herself will love others, and when you love your spouse, they will love in return. If anyone lives here on earth as human and has no relationship with his Maker, he hates his own self.
Every unbeliever hates their own self that is why most unbelieving spouses are horrible; they hurt you and they feel is normal, because they hate their own self.
You cannot give what you don’t have; developing a good relationship with God is a safe parasol.
A parasol is like an umbrella use to give shade from the sun.
Our God protect us from the unnecessary heat that comes from the sun of life. If anyone choose to leave behind that coverage that God gives and endanger his own life, will not protect you when you decide to cohabit with him or her
As Christian we have a father that protect us from the heat of life, The first step to a peaceful and progressive marriage and relationship is to get connected genuinely to God, Him alone hold the key to happiness in homes and life.
Secondly, make sure you do not get yourself involve with an unbeliever. Our God knows the end from our beginning,
He is the one that called you out of darkness and brought you to light, and if He brought you to light, all that He has for you are now in light not in darkness.
He cannot bring you to light and leave all that will make life beautiful for you in darkness.
For every single person here, if you want to be happy in life, please do not marry an unbeliever.
Genesis 7:2 God made the clean to marry the clean and the unclean to marry the unclean.
An unbeliever is someone that does not believe in Jesus and all He stand for.
Galatians 5:25 they that are of Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions appetites and desires
(Ephesians 5:5) . No person practicing immorality, covetous or greedy has an inheritance in the kingdom of God.
The problem is whenever the Kingdom of heaven is measure, people think is far, they think is when they die, no, the bible says-“we are not of the world, we are of the kingdom of heaven” the moment you give your life to Christ, you have been transform from the kingdom of darkness (which is this world) to the kingdom of light, which is the kingdom of heaven.
A kingdom is an empire, a tribe. An American citizen can choose to live in Nigeria, but he or she is still an American where he is not withstanding
You are of the tribe of the kingdom of heaven.
An America Ambassador to Nigeria, any where he seat in Nigeria is America. No Nigeria law can affect him. Though he lives in Nigeria but he is not of Nigeria.
We are on earth, but of the Kingdom of heaven.
The inheritances of the kingdom of heaven are: peace, joy, divine health, riches, long life, profiting, etc.
He says we are seated in Heaven with Him, far above principality and power.
You ought to look at Him, the head of the kingdom I belong to, he is not sick therefore, I cannot be sick, the relationship between Christ and the church, has not failed once, my relationship with my husband cannot fail.
The head of the kingdom I belong to is not a failure, therefore I cannot fail in my marriage; I cannot fail in my relationship. The head of the kingdom I belong to put on flesh like me, but never committed fornication, therefore from now on, I cannot commit fornication.
We are already in the kingdom of heaven as Christians. As He is in heaven, so we are on earth because we belong to the same tribe.
You cannot be living in America and carry the doctrines of Nigeria; they will say this is not of us. That is the problem some of us have, God has not been able to recognize you as one of His and Satan sees you have shifted a bit from him but not fully, so you become a subject of attack.
Also you do not have full protection, because in your new kingdom you are not recognize, you have with you fruit of darkness.
Today make a decision, let the kingdom of heaven recognize you. In The kingdom of heaven, there are soldiers assign to help carry out your commands, when they see the fruit of darkness among you, they will refuse to carry out your instructions.
That is why you pray and pray nothing seem to change, the solider (angels) have seen something in you does not belong to the people they are instructed to carry out duties for. Also, God want you to remove from you (wrong company of friends that could lead you to sin. (1corinthians 5:11)
If you meet any man or women that keep pressing you for fleshy desires– fornication, covetousness, lie, etc, they are not of Christ.
This is the reason why a lot of people that think they are Christian, are not living like king’s child, because they think they are of Christ but have no fruit of Christ in them.
Why you may still see some Christians going through what unbelievers are going through is because, they have no root.
It is not how much church service you attend that gives you root but the communion with him that determine the fruit your bear.
Take some time this year to talk to him, and read for yourself the word of God; do not just ask for things,
(Example of always coming to ask me for a pen, I can keep giving you, that is all we will have in common, but you will not know my thought, if I even plan to travel the next day.)
Talk to God, ask Him to show you why you are here on earth, I kept asking God for years seriously, I never stop until, he told me.
(1 kings 3:9 – He will do to you like He did to King Solomon, that ask Him for wisdom and God was too please with Him that He gave him riches and honor.
The bible says–Do not think of the food you shall eat or the cloths you will wear, for your heavenly father know you need this things, but seek first God and all these food, clothes and everything God will add it to you.
You will have a progressive life if you choose to love yourself by putting it in the hand of God.
How to love your self
- Appreciating all that is in you.
- Build a cordial relationship with your Maker.
- Remove from you habit that defile you.
- Take care of you, physically, emotional, spiritually, socially, educationally.
If you love yourself, you will not allow your body to start smelling, your mouth to smell. even when you are fasting; when you are fasting your mouth will smell no matter who you are, when you have meetings, interview or any outing that you will have close contact with people brush again midday, or freshen with gum. That will not spoil the fast.
If you love yourself you will spend time with the head of the kingdom of heaven, so you know your right and privilege and not subject yourself to humiliation and difficulties.
If you love yourself, you will spend time educating your mind, you are not ignorant.
If you are able to love yourself, you will love your wife, you will love your husband because, you will find out to love others in the process of finding how to love, other will love you.
Then you will see in the word, he that loved his wife, loveth his own flesh.
- Dwell in Him.
The quickest access to progressive and peaceful life in marriage and relationship is to dwell in God Almighty.
It is so shameful for a Christian to be having a troublesome marriage or divorce; it shows weak relationship with the Holy Spirit. The (bible says when the spirit of truth shall come upon you He shall guide you to all truth and show you things to come.)
The Holy Spirit dwells with your spirit. When you accept Jesus as your Lord and savior, He put His spirit in your Spirit. (John 1:12) as many as receive Him, to them He (Jesus gave power to become like Him) He is the only son of GOD’ If you now receive Him, He will empower you to be joint heir with Him by putting His spirit in your spirit. So as He is in Heaven knowing things, you ought to know all things on earth.)
A true Christian cannot marry the wrong spouse. Any one that claims to be a Christian that married a wrong man or woman was dwelling in the flesh at the time of the decision making.
(The testimony on how God send someone to the bank I worked, to tell me am with the wrong spouse, after He told me by Himself, showed me by Husband in a night vision two years before.)
One of the ways to know your life partner is to carefully listen to the spirit that live within.
God speak but some people choose to hear their emotion. (the story of my pastor friend in Florida)
- Become what you desire.
In life you do not have control over any other person action and thought but at least you can control your own actions.
You can become your desires, the reason a lot of people fail in marriage is because they wait for another person to give them what they need to be happy or successful.
(Example with my birthdays) I have become for my husband what I desire and you do not stop until you see it. “Love suffers long, bear all things, hope all things, not easily angered”
Whatever you desire in your wife, you have to become it, there is what they call power of influence, if you do it long enough, the other person will unknowingly become it.
And there is law of “You are who you attract” if you desire a particular class of spouse, you have to first become it to attract it.
When I was still single, I was a true Christian but dress very circular, that was the kind of people that came for me, until I change a little bit.
If you want God supply all your need, also learn to supply the need of another.
The testimony of the woman that read our article on facebook (she said she was tired of her marriage because her husband refuse to change. I said to her become to your husband what Christ was for you before you finally recognize Him and gave your life to Him.)
- Know it takes time for seed to bear fruit.
Every relationship, person, marriage start from a seed form and seed is usually not attractive but, you need to nurture seed to bring out fruit.
To every man, your wife come in a seed form, you need to nurture, water, wash her to become exactly what you want.
(Ephesians 5:25-28) — As at the time Christ was giving up himself for the church, she did not deserve it
(This is why is extremely difficult to live with an unbelieving man, because his work is to wash that union clean and present it to himself without spot or wrinkle), but when he is not clean himself, how can he clean his wife)
Seed is not attractive, so only few people come to it. Like this ministry is still in it seed form, we just started planting, not so many people love this process, but time will come when beautiful roses grow in this seed, it will attract all manner of people but, you know why? That is the usual process of God, is to keep the greedy from His blessing.
That is why you see only a patient and a wise lady will stay with a man that looks as though he has nothing to offer but, she will fall in love with the seed without fruit in it, though not yet visible to all eyes before the greedy will see it, the Humble have taken it over.
Example of president Obama and Michele, Paul Adefarasin with Pastor Ifeayin, TD Jakes and wife, Pastor Matthew and Pastor Yemisi, the list is on and on.
Even in your career, finance, your vision, ministry, it takes time for seed to bear fruit.
You have to first sow; it will take number of time to germinate, then start springing up, gradually, little by little and until it become a tree, and start getting ready to be fruit.
God told me this Himself, that true success take more than one, or two or three decade.
So you cannot call any life barren until 60 years of age.
When you understand that seed take time, you will learn patience and be at peace, at your pace.
Also you will learn to be patient with your husband or wife, and not be quick to say am done with this marriage.
Good marriage takes time, you need to invest into it, invest patient, understanding, faith, gifts, positive words, time, and kindness. Then little by little, you become perfect couple.
Even, Christianity takes time, little by little, you start knowing your true identity and authority over time, you become full grow mature Christian; Life takes time.
Zig Ziggla says, no matter how gifted you are, success just take time. You cannot make a baby in a day by impregnating nine women. It will still take nine months to have one.