My three young daughters often dream of their future marriages, imagining scenarios where their “dads” (their future husbands) will go to work while they share joyful days of tending to babies amidst connecting yards with colorful horses. Their days will be spent in a happy bliss of satisfaction. Yet, as adults who have married and have begun raising a family (kids or even pets), know that this blissful fantasy is not always the way that it is.
During this last Sunday school class, we asked the question, “What did you expect?” We dug deeper into the unrealistic expectations and assumptions placed in marriage. Using Paul David Tripp’s book on Marriage we discussed 6 gospel commitments that every couple needs to make.
Commitment 1: We will give ourselves to a regular lifestyle of confession and forgiveness.
Commitment 2: We will make growth and change our daily agenda.
Commitment 3: We will work together to build a sturdy bond of trust.
Commitment 4: We will commit to building a relationship of love.
Commitment 5: We will deal with our differences with appreciation and grace.
Commitment 6: We will work to protect our marriage.
Whether you were able to attend the class weekly or had a chance to stop by, we encourage you to continue moving forward with building these commitments into your marriage. If you missed the class, it does not mean that you can’t still learn and grow.
I have a great passion for healthy, God-centered, marriage and family values. No matter what stage of marriage you are in, we can always use refreshment and encouragement to continue doing the hard work of preserving our marriages daily. It is a task worth the time.
-Pastor Brent