Christian Advice: Your marriage to Christ should not be abandoned for your marriage with a man- Emeka Anslem shares

"Pastor, my husband doesn't believe in the Holy Spirit, and now I think he's envious of me for having a good relationship with the Holy Spirit. He plans on quitting the marriage, please what do I do?"

I once heard of a man who literally told his wife that Christianity has spoilt their marriage. I honestly felt bad when I heard it, and even though I was tempted to tell her to go embrace her husband, I won't tell her to abandon her God just to be subject to her husband's desires. No way! 

Marriage is not greater than God or your relationship with Him. Marriage is God's creation, and you can't abandon the creature for the creator. While the creature will expire with time, the creator can not only creator more, he can create even better ones. 

I know we've been taught that divorce isn't an option except for the case of adultery, but Apostle Paul also permits divorce in a case where an unbelieving husband or wife doesn't want to stay in the marriage. Let's read how he puts it:

1 Corinthians 7:

12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. 

13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. 

14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. 

15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. 

16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

So yes, if you've discussed with him and he still thinks that your relationship with God will be an hindrance, then he's free to go. You're not in bondage in this case. 

The Spirit controls the physical. Your marriage to Christ should not be abandoned for your marriage with a man. Just because you're married to a man on earth doesn't mean you're no longer the bride of Christ.

This is your reality now, you love the Lord and you can't hide it, not even in your marriage. It's more like discovering that you have a passion for engineering and you want to pursue it, although you and your husband agreed that you'd both be doctors. Your husband may resist the idea, but it's only normal for man's desire to change over time. Just because you liked being a doctor yesterday doesn't mean you'd maintain the passion today. 

There were people who really wanted to be rich, and when they finally got rich, they wished they were poor. There are people who desired to work in a multinational but now wish they just had a regular government job. These things sound awkward, but that's the power of man's mindset. It can change! So intending couples should get used to that fact before they marry. 

If you decide to abandon your beliefs about God just to please your husband, God forbid that he dies, what would you do? They warned Daniel not to pray in the name of his God, but he had to pray even louder. If the Lions could not eat him for loving God, then what's the worse thing that man can do against you? You don't have to fear what man will do against you just because you love God, God will never leave nor forsake you, He will be with you just as He was with Daniel. 

And this goes to everyone whose family life is being threatened because you love the Lord, don't ever give up on God! If they can no longer accommodate you, then leave. It's definitely not an easy choice, but again, God will never leave nor forsake you.

I was raised in a family that attended a charismatic church. As the Lord would have it, I joined a pentecostal church after many years. That move made the family I lived with develop hatred for me. They even told me that it's only a matter of time, that I was going to return to their church. I had to leave their house to live the new life I had found. It's been over 10 years now, and it keeps getting better for me. But for the family I left, I'd rather be silent about the events of their life since I left.

Now don't get me wrong, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the Charismatic church, it's just that God has a different purpose for everyone of us, and He'd always direct us to places that will help fulfill our purpose.

I hope this has brought enlightenment to someone.

Remain ever blessed!

#EmekaAnslem