READ: Genesis 39:20-23
“The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility” – Proverbs 15:33
Joseph was in prison, which is a ‘type’ of bad marriage. He used this handicap to rise into prominence and leadership. Your difficult marriage is giving you certain important qualities. Every difficult marriage releases two key spiritual treasures into your life – humility and wisdom.
Everybody has a different kind of marriage. Some people have A1 (excellent, ideal) marriages. Others have P5 (prison, suffering, bondage) marriages. Perhaps you married someone who is not an ideal partner. Perhaps you have an unpleasant, quarrelling, malicious, and contentious wife. Perhaps you feel sad that you backed the wrong horse and are yoked to an unfortunate circumstance.
Those who have A1 marriages often develop a subtle pride about their ideal and harmonious lives. You will hear them saying things like, “Why don’t you pull yourself together and be a good husband so that you can have a good marriage.” P5 marriage partners are blessed with the humility and humiliation of their circumstances.
The other key quality that is released through your difficult marriage is the key of wisdom. You need superior wisdom to outmanoeuvre a cantankerous or accusative woman and continue to dwell peacefully with her. Solomon advised dwelling in the desert or finding your way to a rooftop. It takes supernatural wisdom and strategy to dwell with an unfaithful man who beats his wife and comes home with HIV viruses to download into her.
After many years of a P5 marriage, you will become a wiser and more humble spouse who appreciates and understands other people’s problems. A person with an A1 marriage will not have this advantage and can even become insensitive to people’s problems.