I genuinely think that most people—women more often than men—are more in love with the concept of marriage than they are with actually being married. The majority of girls between the ages of 19 and 22 do not even begin to understand the concept of marriage. Yes, they claim to, but the majority don't give it much thought. They are convinced of the incredible "ideal" wedding. Now, it's not a bad thing to consider and strive for the notion of a "perfect" wedding. To enter into marriage, we must have a wedding, but regrettably, I believe that for a great deal of couples, that is where it ends. This is the reason, in my opinion, why over half of marriages end in divorce. They believe they can coast given that they are now married.
Do you know what pictures come up when you search for "marriage" on Google? photos from a wedding. The wedding is significant, as I've mentioned, but most intentional planning ends there. Because the excitement of the wedding is over, a lot of couples have lost the wonder and awe of their marriage.
I would like you to consider the wedding. Why is it that 99.9 percent of the time, the wedding is such a crazy success? because the husband and wife are both putting effort into achieving the objective. There is a ton of planning involved in thinking about how that day will go, including preparation, talks, and dinner dates. To put it another way, both sides are acting intentionally.
We attend events to gain insight into how to create an unforgettable wedding day, and we plan every detail of that special day. It takes a lot of work to plan a successful wedding. Why wouldn't we assume that maintaining our marriage would require effort as well? And trust me when I say that maintaining a successful marriage will require effort.
Here are a few ideas for living out an intentional marriage.
1. Make a joint plan. As the wedding approached, you two got together once a week, sometimes even every day, to plan things out. Would you mind sitting down with your spouse and making plans together? Begin modestly. Arrange your week in tandem. Take a seat together over dinner, get out your calendar, go over your schedule, and purposefully discuss what you want to get done this week, month, or year.
2. Have fun together. This is for you, brother. There were fun things you did with your girl when you were engaged and making plans for the wedding. We become anxious so easily in marriage. When we play on our phones or watch TV, we lose focus. When we were getting ready for the wedding, we didn't do that. Focused, we searched for enjoyable activities to do as a group. Take your lady out on an activity she loves to do as a surprise. While you're there, have fun. Help her to recall the reasons she fell in love with you.
3. Unite in worship! Although it may seem straightforward, this is the one that can frequently be put on the back burner in your life. Set aside time to study the Bible together. Set aside time for a group prayer (aloud). Set aside time to attend church as a group. Your life will go much more smoothly if you have your spiritual house in order.
I support marriage. We should be happy about it because, in my opinion, God put it together, but in order for our marriages to succeed, we will need to be a couple with a well-thought-out plan. Life and marriage can be difficult at times. It can be a lot easier if we have a blueprint.
As married couples, I want us to commit to having purposeful marriages. Our marriages will succeed when we do that.
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