4 Things to Do to Prepare for Your Future Marriage

A few weeks ago I planned to start eating healthier, however the night before I was to start day one of my journey to healthy eating I was too lazy to go to the store to get the items I needed for the next day. When I woke up I was starving, but I had no fruit or anything healthy to eat.
I ended up eating foods that were unhealthy because I was NOT prepared! Although marriage has more aspects and levels than making the decision to eat healthier, the concept of preparation is quite similar. If you desire to be married some day, it is imperative that you prepare before a door is opened for a new relationship that has the potential for marriage.
The night before I was scheduled to begin day one of a healthier me, I had every intention in the world to commit wholeheartedly to start eating better. Although I made up in mind to start the next day, I did not invest the time to get up, go to the store and do the necessary grocery shopping in order to be prepared for what I “intended” to do. Entering into a covenant marriage is the same. Having a desire for marriage alone is not enough to succeed at it.
Having intentions to be the best husband/wife you can possibly be is not a guarantee that you will, especially if you skip the preparation stage. It is important for unmarried men and women who desire marriage to invest into preparing for marriage now.
If there is no preparation, you will most likely enter into your marriage blindly and experience avoidable issues and problems that could have been addressed prior to meeting your mate.
If you don’t invest in the preparation stage, in addition to normal marital obstacles, you will add more unnecessary stress and weight to your future marriage which will eventually complicate things in the end and attribute to an unhappy or failed marriage.
So what are some things that you can do to prepare for your future marriage?
1). Learn how to embrace and enjoy your season of being unmarried.
Instead of complaining to God every other day about why everyone around you is married, focus on the blessings that come along with not having the responsibility of marriage in this season of your life. Use your time to do the things that can help build your future such as going back to school, getting rid of any debt you may have and build meaningful friendships.
2). Self-Evaluation!
Evaluate where you really are in your life. Are you healthy and stable enough (mentally and financially) to invite someone in your life right now? How do you handle stress? How is your attitude towards others? Are you controlling? Do you have the ability to be faithful?  Do you have lasting and healthy friendships? Have you reconciled with family or friends who offended you in the past? Are you prideful? Are you selfish? How is your character? Many of these questions will help you to determine if you are ready to be joined to another person in covenant marriage.
3). Get Healed, Delivered and Restored!
Allow God to heal you from the wounds and soul ties from past relationships. Whether it is intimate relationships, relationships with your parents, siblings or past friendships that failed. Healing, deliverance and restoration is necessary in order to move forward and to produce new fruitful relationships.
The worst thing you can do is make your future spouse pay for what your ex, sister, brother, friend, mother, father, etc… did to you in the past! Surrender your past baggage to God so that when the right time and person comes along, you will be free to move forward in covenant with your future mate without any major hindrances.
4). Learn to trust God
(Proverbs 3:5). Often times unmarried men and women who desire marriage lose their hope, faith and trust in God concerning whether or not he will send them a husband/wife and they begin to doubt their future. If God promised you marriage and a family, he will do just that…in His timing! Build your trust and faith by studying his word and investing time communicating with God daily in order to stay tuned in with what he is doing in your life. Remember God’s promises over you are yes and amen!
We live in a society where preparation is despised or viewed as being unnecessary, however if you intend to be the best husband/wife to your future mate the best gift you can give them is being prepared to love, cherish, honor, respect and to value them without the weight and stress of your past issues vying for your attention.