In this segment of Marital Moments I will continue on the subject of "Developing A Strong Marriage" by looking at this thought: A Commitment To Focus On Each Other. Genesis 2:24 states that, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother". In order for the relationship to grow and flourish, the cord must be cut with parents. To leave "father and mother" is to break the parent child bond. To sever the relationship that provided security, protection, financial assistance and physical needs. You must now transfer all these to your mate. You must look to your wife / husband for all the things your parents once provided for you. De-pendence upon and allegiance to your mate must be your number one priority. If the cord is not cut between you and your parents then your wife or husband must compete with your in-laws. I am not suggesting that you abandon, ignore, mistreat, or cut off all contact with your parents or other in-laws. That would be neither advisable nor practical. You must always remember that the Bible commands us to "Honor thy father and mother which is the first commandment with promise". Obedience to your parents ends for all practical purposes when you get married but honor to your parents never ends. Not only must you sever your dependence on your parents when you get married but you must also be careful about your relationship with friends. A marriage needs a lot of attention and often friends demand a lot of your time and energy. Your marriage must be your top priority. Saying no to a friends invitation is not being unkind but sometimes it is the wisest and greatest thing you can do in order to spend time with each other. For a mar-riage to grow you must also be careful about an overloaded work schedule. I realize that work is a vital part of existing but you must guard careful the time you spend with your mate. Another area that consumes a large block of your time is sports and sports related activities. Too much time spent with these endeavors can take valuable time away from your home. Entertainment must be carefully sche-duled and guarded to avoid the habit of investing to much time with TV programs, movies, books, and magazines. These things are important and have their place but they must not consume all our time and effort. The top priority in any home must be God and family. If you are willing to put these things first and foremost in your home, then both you and your marriage will reap huge dividends. Re-member, if you would "Develop A Strong Marriage", you must make A Com-mitment To Focus On Each Other.
