My husband and I recently got the opportunity to chaperone a youth activity at our church. The youth were all eating dinner, and at the end, they served ice cream as dessert. We decided to share one dish of Ice Cream – two spoons and one dish. We sat enjoying a little conversation and ice cream, laughing about some of the things we had seen the kids do that day.
One of the sweet girls in our youth group looked over and saw us sharing our “date” moment, and said “Awww! Goals!”
I smiled, thankful that I am “hip” enough to know the lingo and that it was a compliment, but my husband looked at us both a little confused. I explained that it was a compliment – and in my opinion, a high one at that.
#Relationshipgoals
#Marriagegoals
These hashtags circle social media. When a teenager sees a relationship that mirrors one that they would like to have, they will use these hashtags. That is why I thought it was such a high honor that one of the teens would look at my husband and me, and desire to have a relationship like ours.
It was also humbling.
Very humbling.
My marriage isn’t perfect. I love my husband- but we are too imperfect people who forgive well (and much!) and love fiercely. Marriage is work – sanctifying work.
My prayer is that my marriage is one that my children can look up to and that they will desire to have a relationship like mine and their dad’s. Not because we have lived it out perfect before them, but because they know it is real.
When God created marriage, he had some Goals in mind. When we are living out these goals out, we will not only be setting an example for those who are watching, we will bring honor and glory to God in a powerful way.
Marriage Goals
We can find the goals of marriage by looking at what the Word of God has to say about Marriage.
- Ministry Team- When God created Adam, He gave Adam a job to do: tend the garden. Yet, the job was bigger than Adam could do alone. So, God made a helper suitable for Adam. Eve was just the woman for the job, and made perfectly for Adam! God has given each marriage team a ministry to do. It might be within your family, it might be as Sunday School Teachers or Small group leaders- it might just be your next door neighbor! No matter what God has given you to do, it was meant to do it as a team! Within marriage, you have your best teammate and cheerleader, wrapped into one!
- To Increase Worshipers- God gave Adam and Eve another holy assignment- He said: “Be fruitful and multiply the earth.” God wanted worshipers. That is why he didn’t create robots – no he created humans, with the ability to choose right from wrong and to choose to worship. Many people look at this verse and immediately think about having children, and although that is directly what God meant, our sinful world has caused our bodies to not work right, and some people can’t have children. Some choose not to – and live a life sold out completely to the ministry. Even if God does not bless you with children, it is still our job to be fruitful and multiply and help grown the Kingdom of God!
- To be a Picture of Christ and the Church- The ultimate goal of marriage is to be a picture of Christ and the church. Marriage shows oneness through intimacy – sex is so much more than a physical act of love between two people. The act of intimacy shows what our relationship with Christ should be. We should be daily spending time with God and His Word in such a way that we are one. That His thoughts become our thoughts, and His ways, our ways. We should be conforming to the image of Christ so that when people look at us, they see Christ, just as when they look at us they see our spouse. Marriage is the most beautiful picture of Christ and the church that there is- especially when it is lived out well.
These might not have been the practical goals that you had in mind. When Scott and I got married, we made a marriage mission statement, and set tangible goals on how to achieve those things. I plan on talking more about the practical goals of marriage in another post, but we can’t get our hands doing the practical until we understand the spiritual.
Marriage isn’t easy. I have found that God has used marriage to sanctify me on a daily basis. Through my role as a wife, I am learning not only how to humble myself, how to esteem someone above me, but also it causes me to trust and rely on God in a way I never learned when I was single.
When others look at us, they should see first and foremost these goals played out in our marriage.
Worshiping With My Life,
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