Respect is a general quality instilled in us right from when we start growing. The elderly asserts that with respect, one would be able to accommodate and socially interact with anyone irrespective of age or gender status. Being a rare quality, respect trails down the line from infancy to adulthood living within the social circles in schools, homes, workplaces, and even within our outdoor engagements.
That said, the General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) Pastor Mensa Otabil has also established that mutual respect and selflessness is the foundation to a successful marriage.
Giving a thought on pre-marital relationships in a live Facebook session, the General Overseer highlighted the need to have respect for one another in marriages as it serves as a stepping stone to having a great and successful marriage.
“For a marriage to work, people must be respectful of each other and think selflessly about the needs of each other that’s probably the most important foundation. They must be respectful of each other and they must think selflessly concerning each other. If they have these two, no matter the temperament, tribe, whatever; the marriage will work”.
Pastor Mensa Otabil reiterated the reason why people have to make respect a priority in their marriage. “I think it’s the most critical factor for marital failures this time – the lack of respect for each other. Men don’t respect women; women don’t respect men. Most men see women only from a sexual point of view, sexual satisfaction, and women also probably see it that way and there’s no respect for the person and there’s no courtesy towards the person, no kindness towards the person, no gentleness towards the person, no value for the person and if you don’t do that the marriage is not going to work.
He further stressed that respect could break boundaries of temperamental issues among couples, it could give room for tolerating and accepting different cultural values, and could further bridge the gap between educational differences. Therefore respect should be held in high esteem to attain a successful marriage.