Friday, October 19, 2012

What Does Marriage Mean to You?

PART TWO of  last week's post with advice
from Debra Fileta a professional councellor.
  
Marriage alone can't give you purpose.

One thing I noticed while attending a Christian college was the all-consuming search of young adults who were out to fulfill one mission in life: find a godly spouse. Don't get me wrong. I personally was on the lookout, too. But there was something behind the drive of these young people that really disturbed me. Their sole purpose in life was to catch a mate. Some of the girls even joked they were there to get their "M-R-S" degree.

Something has gone terribly wrong when young Christians believe their sole purpose in life is to find marital love. This belief is dangerous; it robs us of true joy and real purpose in life. True purpose is eternal and can never be taken away. The Bible encourages us to live this life for God's glory, to love Him and to love others in an attempt to leave His fingerprints all across this world. We are each made for a unique reason and design that may include marriage but goes far beyond its scope. Though marriage can be an incredible gift, it is a means to the end, not the end itself.

When we see relationships as the last step on our road of purpose, we find ourselves facing a wall of disappointment with nowhere left to go when we finally arrive. Marriage may be an avenue in fulfilling our purpose, but it is never the final destination. We need to seek God's purpose for our lives far beyond finding a spouse, allowing His will and His plans to be the course that guides our lives and influences our direction. Rather than asking what God can do for us, we need to look to Him in seeking what we can do for Him. In this is true purpose. And who knows? We might just run into a spouse along the way—this one I can personally vouch for—but purpose is not dependent on this possibility.

Thanks, Debra, for this down to earth and godly advice!



3 comments:

Sr Crystal Mary Lindsey said...

Hello Rita, what you written here is so true. And many think married life is the perfect way... and style their dream on T.V. shows and movies that never really show all there is to know. Every day should be seen as a gift from God and enjoyed to the fullest. In Gods time, if its to be, the right mate will come without you looking.. Glad you wrote about this, and I hope many unmarried read and are inspired. Many blessings and love sent to you today. xx

Rita Galieh said...

Thanks Crystal. Debra is right on the mark. I pray many will take this on board when they hit my blog!

WordTinker said...

This is godly advice. What a blessing it is though when we find the right spouse! I ran into mine in a car park. I've since joked that it might have been easier to crash into a police car instead, but it's been one interesting ride!