The four Ts of a happy marriage 'part 1'

       

 TRUTH

The first T is Truth. what is Truth- Truth is that which is reliable and can be trusted. The word TRUTH is from the Hebrew word emeth which not only means TRUTH but also "Faithfulness, sureness, dependability, reliability and stability". Truth is like a pillar which a person can stand on or that which is sure( psalm 119:141, 152, 160; Proverbs 14:25). It is rooted in the Hebrew word Aman , which means that in which one can trust, that which is reliable. Aman is used for the support of pillar( 2 kings 18:16). Aman is also related to the word emunah, meaning honesty or steadfastness( the idea of staying true to someone) (proverbs 12:17)

 In fact, the Hebrew root word for truth, aman means "to support". Dr mattoon worte and i quote: "we will note something about the Hebrew word 'emeth'. it is formed from three Hebrew letters that happen to be the first letter, the aleph, the middle letter, the mem, and the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the tav. There are 17 letters in this
alphabet if you include the final forms and 22 if you don't include them. The hidden message here is that something is true from A to Z. it is true all the time, from start to finish, including every point in the middle as well"

In the context of christian, the bible is the compendium of truth. In Zachariah 8:16-17 we read " These are the things you shall do: speak each man the truth to his neighbor; give judgment in your gates for the truth, justice, and peace; let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor, and do not love false oath. for all these are things i hate;says the LORD".

 Let's paraphrase these values and apply it to a coupe. it will read " these are the things you shall do, speak each (husband and wife) the truth to his (spouse); give judgement(tell each other the truth) in your gates for truth, justice, and peace; let none of you (husband or wife) think evil in your heart against your (spouse); and do not love a false oath. For all these are things that (husband or wife) hates says the LORD". A couple that accepts and practices this truth will build a solid and enduring relationship.

Biblical truth requires more than mere intellectual assent. It is something by which all christian are to live. Christian truth is for the heart as well as for the mind and is to characterize all of the details of  life. What is believed must be worked out in daily life. Whether one is in the church or the world. In the bedroom or the kitchen, in office or the factory, on side way or highway.

The essential idea of truth is of course, faithfulness or reliability which is not measured by any external standard. GOD's word is the only accepted standard. GOD's truth(faithfulness or reliability) is the truth that is foundation for all other truth( Deuteronomy 7:9-10). He maintains His covenant and steadfast love. When GOD is spoken of as the true GOD or the GOD of truth as in the following scriptures: (Deuteronomy 32:4; @ chronicles 15:3, Isaiah 65:16; Jeremiah 10:10) the idea is that GOD is reliable. Psalm 146:6 says "GOD keeps truth forever". couples should seek to keep truth with one another at all times in all situations. This will solidify the relationship even more as the years go by.

Truth is not simply a matter of prepositional accuracy. In the writing of John, the LORD Jesus Christ was identified with the truth: john 1:17 says " For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."

In His testimony, the LORD declared, answering Pilate in john 18:37...."Are you a king then?" Jesus answered, "you say rightly that i am a king . For this cause i was born, and for this cause i have come into the world that i should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of truth hears my voice."

And in John 14:6 He said " i am the way, the truth  and the life,"

This knowledge of truth is not simply " head knowledge". It is a matter of the heart. sometimes called revelation knowledge. It is in the light of this understanding that john spoke of doing the truth in john 3:21, "but he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in GOD.

Imagine every couple doing the truth so that their deed are devoid of any trace of deceit or duplicity. And in 1 john 1:6 the bible says "if we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth".

Truth is the foundation of any true relationship. Where truth is lacking the relationship is built on sinking sand. Where truth is lacking the relationship will be shallow and will not endure the storms of life and test of time.

I heard of a lady who knew her ovaries had been removed because of complications during an abortion but she chose not to disclose it to the man who asked her hand in marriage. The man was kept in the dark and only came to discover the challenge after they had gone ahead to solemnize the marriage. when the truth came to light, the marriage fell apart. And the man in shock reacted angrily on discovering her secret and did not take kindly to it. The man's reaction was so swift that he did not seek counsel on what to do next but took the easy way of walking out of the marriage. If  the lady had told the man the truth during their courtship, perhaps, it would have been test of his love for her. They could have both agreed to trust GOD for a miracle. GOD still performs miracles today! i have heard of countless miracles of families who were blesses with children in similar circumstance.

"Dr David Jeremiah wrote and i quote, "only when we  know the actual truth--not a version of the truth, but the true truth--can we then respond in real way. Knowing the truth may require forgiveness or reconciliation or restitution, but it is these acts that repair the past, bring healing in the present, and make the future possible. It is impossible to build a strong house a foundation of denial or lies. Revealing the truth, especially when is has been intentionally concealed, can be hard, if not painful. But it is how we grow up; it is how we are set free. If revealing the truth is painful, concealing it is even  more so."

As a couple that desires to build an enduring relationship and family, we undertook to  be a couple that tells each other truth. We endeavor to be truthful in our behavior, actions and words. We know that truth does not change in spite of the opposition and opinion of men that try to defy it. Truth is reliable and dependable because it is always true. yesterday, two plus two equaled four. It is also true today and tomorrow and forever. Therefore, where truth is established in a marriage, it becomes a bedrock of the relationship that will enable is to stand under severe life pressures. Truth is an absolute necessity in any relationship that desires to endure against all of life's vicissitudes.

"truth alone will endure, all the rest- beauty, fame, wealth, etc- will be  swept away before the tide of time. I must continue to bear testimony to truth even if i am forsaken by all. Mine may today be a voice in the wilderness, but it will be heard when all other voices are silenced, if it is the voice of truth".