Marriage enrichment is usually focused on helping a couple to turn toward and renew their bonds of affection with each other. And, in a world of countless distractions, this inward focus is necessary for us to maintain our marital vitality. At the same time, our marriage is not just about us, and we must regularly consider the work God wants to accomplish through us.
Of course, we should readily enjoy our wedding day, anniversaries, date nights, and the like for the joy they bring us personally as a couple. It’s very appropriate to consider how these times are for us, as we need regular moments just to delight in each other’s presence and remember our first love with each other.
At the same time, it’s a mistake to assume our marriage is just about our own happiness, even as a couple. Our marriage has also been set apart and called to participate in the larger story God is telling. As such, we must consider the love God seeks to magnify through our union to the world around us.
And this puts a different frame on our couple time. Perhaps in addition to the proverbial dinner and movie that’s focused merely on feeding our souls, we also include times in which we’re pouring into the lives of others as a couple. For instance, this might be inviting a younger couple or a group of singles out to dinner with us, babysitting for a neighbor so they can go out on a date, or simply attending a social event focused more on what we can give rather than receive as a couple.
To be sure, the point is not to neglect our time to pour into each other. But it is to expand our vision and consider what God might be trying to do through us.
In the end, be intentional about the many ways to enrich and do things for your marriage. And don’t neglect the work of love God wants to accomplish through you. May your union be a blessing in the world around you.
Photo by Chermiti Mohamed on Unsplash
