Marriage Retreat

My wife and I are part of the Marriage Ministry at our church, and tomorrow we’re helping host a marriage retreat . I find it a little discomforting that we call it a marriage “retreat” though. Retreat from what? Marriage? I think we need to find a better name, like “Marriage Advance”. Umm, no that sucks. How about “Marriage Get Together to Build a Better Relationship with Your Spouse, Thing.” No that’s too long.

Anyway, we’re helping with the Marriage Enrichment Doo Da. It should be fun, and interesting, and hopefully enlightening.

A lot of people think that going to a marriage retreat is for people who are having problems in their marriage. Not so. Whether you are having troubles, or just seeking to learn more about having a better marriage, a Christ centered marriage retreat can be very enlightening.

Marriage is like your car. No, not because it has gas. It requires regular maintenance. You have to kick the tires every once and a while to ensure they’re still on tight. Ok, bad analogy. Give me a break, I’m trying to make a point here. Work with me.

The fact is, a lot of people don’t understand that marriages can get lost in the day to day drudgery of life without ever realizing it’s happening. People get married and have kids and after a few years lose contact with each other.

You need to stop what you’re doing every now and then to take time for each other in an environment created to help you find each other again. No, not Cancun. Vacations are fun but they don’t give you the revitalized focus on your marriage that you need. Marriage is a learning process, and if you don’t practice continuing education you may end up being in a marriage that’s unfulfilled.

A Christ centered marriage retreat can help you regain the focus on your spouse and your marriage. You learn about having a biblical relationship with your spouse, and also your roles as husband and wife. Yes, I said it: roles. No, not “I’m the man so I’m in charge and you’re the woman so make my dinner” kind of roles, but what God truly intended your marriage to be: a loving, sharing, protecting, providing, encouraging, intimate, beautiful marriage.

So the next time your church offers a marriage retreat, don’t scoff and think it’s just for marriages that are in trouble. Because if you don’t continue to educate yourself about marriage and find ways of exploring a Christ centered relationship, your's may end up being the marriage in trouble.

“God, please bless this weekend. Let marriages be saved, strengthened, or enlightened according to your will. Take away the barriers being thrown up at the last minute by the enemy to keep people from coming. He doesn’t want marriages to remain strong. He wants them destroyed because you have ordained marriage as sacred and holy. Let your spirit guide us as we help everyone become closer to each other, and to you. Amen.”