(Excerpt from my Teaching at an Annual Youth conference with the theme: The Great Awakening. I spoke on ‘Marriage and Destiny’).

Considering our theme l want to say this before I go on: I strongly believe that – the need for this generation of Christian singles to awake to the demands of building fulfilling and destiny enhancing relationships is truly in a state of EMERGENCY.
It’s so critical and it must be attended to critically. I make bold to say this because as a marriage counsellor and seminar speaker for seven years now, I have handled cases that are deplorable and traumatic among our youths (pentecostal) to say the least.

Mind you I didn’t start talking about relationships because I want to find something to do, rather God spoke to me in a very vivid message that I should take it up. More so, I have been a believer from my teens and I have remained steadfast by His grace only, for about 28yrs. So I have been a Christian youth for the major part of my life.
As such I have been through all that you will ever go through as a Christian youth – the temptations, the fantasies and the tendencies for unhealthy relationships. I thank Jesus that I did not yield to them because of His grace and the future I saw.

Let me mention some practical cases that confirm the deadness and decadence in the relationships of our Christian youths:

For instance, I have seen grown-up teenagers get emotionally attached as if they are already married. This even happens in worship places. What about teenagers and youths smooching themselves while Vigil is ongoing in churches.
I was once at a Vigil where this happened before our very eyes. Is this too relationship?

Some Christian workers are having sex together all in the name of a relationship yet they have no intention to be married. I am talking of cases I have intervened in.

Phone sex, I just heard of that recently. It goes on among the youths? And I can imagine, perhaps even among the gospel believing youths.

BROWSE THIS, Signs Of A Love Predator.

What of naked romance?
I have had some sisters confess this to me. In fact, one sister in one of the campus fellowships I ministered to a few years back confessed to me – how she and a very senior fellowship exco member were involved in naked romance.
I mean they would play with each other’s naked body, stroke up their private parts except penetration. Then they still foolishly claim there was no sex. What is sex? If not ‘nakedness’.

In the last case, I mentioned I believe for that brother to have risen to that height God has a plan to use him but his indecent relationship lifestyle may puncture the glorious ministry and destiny God has for him. Often, I keep telling my audience wherever I go to minister that, all these things that youths indulge in which have negative effects on their destinies can still be enjoyed at the right time under the right atmosphere.

The truth is: there is a place of decency and purity if youths must fulfill their destinies, especially in relationships. Marriage determines destiny in several ways for all those who would be given to marriage in their lifetime.

I remember a very pathetic case of a naked romance between a minister of a church and a choir member of the same denomination I was privy to. They were both engaged and set to get married but at the end of the day something went wrong between them and they didn’t get married eventually. Can you imagine that?

Pete Edochei( a Nollywood actor) once said in a film while advising his son in the movie: “ Never allow a woman compromise her nakedness without compensating her adequately.”

Sisters and God-fearing ladies listen to me: Your nakedness is your greatest pride in this life, not your education, gifts, wealth or beauty. If you compromise it, you may never get it back forever.

Besides, the best compensation for a woman’s nakedness is marriage. Nothing less!!!
Yes, of course!
A man may buy a Range Rover Sports 2021 version or Phantom Rolls Royce 2021 for a woman he fantasizes about; he may send her to Harvard (educational purpose) or even buy her a house in Houston, Texas or Dubai, it is not still worth a woman’s nakedness except marriage.
That’s why some men may even do more than what I stated above just to have a round of sex with a woman they fantasise, yet does not have any intention to marry her legally.

NEW ARTICLE, When Love Doesn’t Make Sense

Nowadays even Christian sisters who are church workers and born again now send nude pictures through WhatsApp video/Skype to an unbelieving guy claiming to be brothers. As a sister who is involved in these unhealthy acts- you’re only debasing yourself and you know what – your glorious marital destiny is at stake.

AS LONG AS YOU’RE STILL STILL INVOLVED IN THESE THINGS, YOU’RE PUTTING UP YOUR DESTINY FOR SALE. This is not what a relationship is all about, it should be about our destinies and not just our fantasies or emotions.
And I challenge you today in the name of Jesus to respond positively to these demands if you don’t want to be carried away by the evil tides of wrong and regrettable relationships that are already blowing away supposedly enviable destinies.

Often than not, our destinies are determined by the relationships we keep and the ones we jettison if we have to. You don’t need every relationship to be who God wants you to be, all you need is just the right one.

For example, Amnon, the first biological son of King David came to this world and died like a fowl, with no impact, no records to show that his father was even the great king David. His relationship with a friend called Jonadab cost him destiny after a shameful immoral escapade. (2 Sam.13:1-14)
Ahab and his wife, Jezebel -both also lived and died like dogs even though they had the privilege to lead God nation of Israel. Why? Ahab married the wrong wife.

“But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord because JEZEBEL HIS WIFE STIRRED HIM UP.” 1 Kings 21:25.

More often than not, whom you marry could determine your destiny path and eventual outcome in life, so let’s be mindful of our choice of partner.

Watch out for the concluding part.

©️ Seyi Igunsabi, for MAGI.

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