Marriage is a holy and essential institution. Those who want to marry in their lifetimes need to prepare before they get married. People who choose careers need preparation, people driving for the first time need preparation, people prepare for their job interviews and before retirement one has to prepare.
If people plan and prepare for things important in their lives, then marriage preparation should not be ignored at all. One should not just go into marriage just because all friends are getting married; one should not just jump into marriage without seeking counsel from professional counselors or pastors.
Going for counseling ahead of your wedding is very important and will help you to understand the commitment you are about to take, it helps you to know more about your partner, and some of the issues that have not come to your attention because of the romantic love.
The counselor is trained and knows more about a marital relationship and can assist you and may provide some referral services when necessary. You should not see premarital counseling or marriage preparation as time wasting exercise at all. See it as an opportunity to learn, understand, prepare before you make the final decision to marry your partner or not.
That decision comes from you, not the pastor or the counselor. According to S.M.Stanley, in his publication “ Making a case for premarital education” he stated that marriage preparation programs offer the following benefits to couples:
“(a) to avoid hasty decisions and fostering deliberation;
(b) sending a message that marriage is important
(c) helps couple to know options they have in seeking professional advice during marriage; and
(d) lowering subsequent marital distress or termination.”
Based on what Stanley has stated above, marriage preparation program will help you to reflect on your marital decision, and it will help you to avoid hasty marriage. Like any other important thing in life that precedes with preparation, premarital education should come before marriage, by going through the marriage preparation will let you know how important marriage is.
