Marriage Is Not a Vision It Is a Strategy

<p>There is no doubt that the marriage institution has been disrupted in many ways. Infidelity divorce domestic violence<br />and same-sex marriage are some of the visible signs. However the human and economic tolls arising from this disruption<br />go far beyond what we can readily see.<br />You have probably read or heard all the things the Bible says about marriage; you still remember all the things your<br />parents or your pastor told you about marriage and maybe you have also tried out some of the recipes for a happy and<br />successful marriage. Most of what has been written and said about marriage come from “good husbands” and “good<br />wives” who are “happily married” and are too careful to rock the boat. They keep to the beaten track even when it is<br />obvious that things are not working according to the general prescriptions and assumptions.<br />Now what about those things you have never heard? I mean those things that could contradict some of your cherished<br />doctrines and beliefs? Yes you believe in marriage vows you believe in one man–one wife marriages; perhaps you were<br />also given a set of rules on love submission in marriage or the formula for a successful marriage. You were probably<br />told the type of people you should marry and those you should not—based on their backgrounds. Maybe you know<br />nothing at all about all these. Never mind!<br />Nothing will shield you from the vicissitudes of marriage; there is no absolute guarantee against failure. But you can<br />reduce your odds of failure by acting consciously and proactively and by taking your time to find out and understand<br />who you are your purpose and vision in life before making the strategic decision of who to marry.<br />What is the goal of marriage? And how do the requirements for running a successful business differ from those of having<br />a successful marriage? This book is an attempt to develop a general framework for marriage based on proven business<br />principles and guided by scriptural precepts. The central theme in this book is that marriage should be approached as a<br />strategy for achieving a larger goal—a means to an end and not an end in itself. And since the success of any strategy<br />depends on two key factors—planning and execution—the materials in this book can be classified into two broad<br />categories namely planning and execution of marriage as a strategy.<br />However the book comes with some curious icing on the cake:<br />• Every love is driven by need and love that is devoid of attraction is nothing but kindness.<br />• Love though necessary is not a sufficient condition for marriage.<br />• Infidelity is a liberal ground for divorce when compared to some of the evils plaguing marriages in our society today.<br />• Adultery is not extramarital affair.<br />• Wedding vows make a deity of marriage and invalidates God’s divine grace on marriage.<br />• There is nothing sinful about polygamy and there is no virtue or holiness in celibacy.<br />If you are tired of reading marriage cookbooks written by “good husbands” and “good wives” and their hunky-dory<br />marriages then you will find this book a welcome break. However the book could set husbands against their wives and<br />wives against husbands but it has a higher potential to unite sincere husbands and wives around a common vision that<br />can bring lasting happiness and fulfillment to their marriages.</p>