We are intentional beings. Daily we make choices on how to devote our time and energy. We may choose to keep up with our favorite sports team or television show, the trending topics on social media, or the latest political drama. We might also choose to dedicate our time to professional development, hobbies, physical health, or financial security.
Whatever our situation, there’s great freedom in choosing where we invest our attention. And with this freedom comes responsibility. As Pascal reminds us, God has granted us the “dignity of causality,” which simply means we get to make things happen.
What will we do with our freedom? What will we stand for? How will our dignity of causality make a difference in our marriage?
For instance, a recent study suggests that we are having less sex today than in previous generations. One possible reason included the ubiquity of electronic distractions. Instead of turning toward each other at night, we are more likely to turn toward our electronic devices.
Here again, we make a choice where to give both our intention and attention in marriage.
The lack of intentionality in marriage is rarely a purposeful or conscious choice. Various life demands require our attention and it’s easy to let the work of marriage slip. Before too long, we are essentially roommates who occasionally get to have sex with each other.
Along with other life demands, sometimes we simply fail to realize marriage is something to be intentional about. If we really love each other, shouldn’t things just click and get better with time. With this mindset, we miss the full potential of our marriage, as we assume it only needs work when there is a major problem.
God gave us marriage for many reasons. One of the primary reasons was to provide a clear picture of Christ’s love to our children, the church, and to the world.
Being intentional about marriage is more than having regular date nights and frequent sexual encounters, though these are certainly great things. Being intentional about marriage means we are choosing to stand with God regarding the purpose of marriage.
And so, because our marriage matters to God, we choose to diligently care for it. In doing so, we faithfully draw others to the love of Christ.
If God has given us the dignity of causality and allows us to bring more life, light, and love into the world through our marriage, it seems the least we can do is be intentional about it.
Where will you be intentional today? How will to invest in your marriage?
