Today, many people get married, move out of their parents’ houses and get an apartment for themselves; this to their understanding is the meaning of ‘leaving to cleave’. I believe it is more than that.

If you cannot make a decision in marriage without first seeking the approval of your dad or mum, have you really left?

If you and your spouse have made a decision but you still feel the need for dad or mum to put a seal on it, have you really left?

If at the slightest misunderstanding you have with your spouse, you go running to dad or mum to make a case or judge it, have you really left?

If dad or mum has the final say in your marriage, and have become more or less mini-gods in your home, have you really left?

If you are still getting stipend from Dad or Mum even in your marriage without any apparent financial difficulty, have you really left?

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh – Gen 2:24 (ESV)

You cannot have a happy home if one spouse keeps feeling that they are married to the other person’s parents since they call the shots in the home. I wonder which is worse, whether being a daddy’s girl and making your husband feel he isn’t man enough to lead you or being a mummy’s boy and making your wife feel she is in a competition with another woman! I reckon both are equally bad! No one deserves to feel miserable by the other spouse in marriage. Hence, it is your responsibility as a spouse to LEAVE your parents and hold fast to your spouse as though your life depends on it.

Leaving your parents does not mean abandoning them or disrespecting them or dishonoring them, God forbid! It means recognizing that you and your spouse have formed a new family unit which you have to guard from external influences, a union where your sole desire is to please God and your wife/husband. I believe it could be very difficult for parents to leave their kids, hence the reason why God has placed this responsibility on the couple.

Take your stand today in support of your husband/wife; do not let your parents, friends, siblings or anyone for that matter ill-treat your spouse. Do not let your decisions always go through daddy or mummy unless you both agree to that. Be the spouse that will make your husband/wife feel confident, secure and happy!

N.B: If you are still a daddy’s girl or a mummy’s boy, you are not ready for marriage yet and if you’re already married, you need to leave to cleave!

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God bless you!