Marriage is meant to be an Adventure.
Love. Commitment. Partnership.
Usually, the first descriptors of marriage don’t include Adventure. But we hang our hat on it for a thriving marriage. Why the boldness? Because adventures require commitment, dedication, courage, and tenacity. They force us to grow through challenges, testing our limits to see the extent of our capabilities. They are exciting, surprising, enjoyable, and (usually) a little terrifying. And so is marriage.
God designed marriage to highlight His truth and to bind us together. He intended it for our good and mutual support and comfort as we go through life. In Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10, He tells us, “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” He did not create marriage as a static arrangement but instead as a dynamic relationship that deepens and evolves as it stretches, grows, and celebrates the journey.
Not only does this journey require investment in one another, but it also requires investment in the future. Most marriage resources focus on the relationship but forget about the forward motion.
We believe that thriving marriages actively contribute to building their Adventure with God in three significant ways.
First, they Pray together. A vibrant and active faith is the foundation of a healthy and growing marriage. It lets us encourage each other and build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11), gives us strength (Ecclesiastes 4:12), reminds us to delight in each other (Isaiah 62:5), allows for connection (1 Corinthians 14), and points others towards the love of Christ (Ephesians 5). Our individual walks are critical to this in general, but couples who pray together bind to one another at an even deeper level. They are inviting God into their relationship. As Matthew 18:20 reminds us: “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them.” They are able to gain His insight and wisdom. They are able to receive His guidance for their path. They are able to tap into His grace and patience for one another more quickly.
Next, they Dream together. Dreaming together heightens connection and commitment. When couples dream together, they listen to the heartfelt desires of the other. They expose hopes that may have lain hidden or dormant. They communicate on a different level with gentleness and excitement. They paint pictures of possibilities and playfully imagine what the future could hold. When couples’ dreams are informed by a life resounding in prayer, they are empowered to unpack God’s calling with an intensity and a focus that fuels forward momentum and aids them in acting out in faith.
Finally, they Act together. Thriving marriages take action on the dreams that they agree are called forth by God. When they are confident that God is lighting their path, they look for the steps His lamp is illuminating to guide their feet. (Psalm 119:105) Oxen are neither yoked together to stand still nor are husband and wife. They are yoked together to move forward to do the work that is laid out before them. When couples take action together, they truly become a partnership. A team. They are no longer going on about life on two different pathways but are instead working together to implement behaviors that will work toward a mutually desired outcome.
What the Adventure looks like depends a lot on each couple. The process is the same, but the calling, the dream, and the actions are not.
Each marriage has a unique calling because each marriage is unique. Each marriage is made of two beautifully crafted children of God in its’ very own particular set of circumstances. Each marriage has an adventure that is all its own.
What Adventure is God calling your marriage toward?
