Marriage

Everyone knows the value of a great marriage. Spiritually-minded men and women believe it as a sacred union between the couple and God himself. Whether you’ve found your way back to God or not, I think we all agree that it is far better to thrive in a healthy marriage than it is to suffer in an under-functioning one! Awesome marriages seem to be elusive in our culture. Statistically, religious and nonreligious people divorce at about the same rate. Some singles have grown so disillusioned with the whole concept that they have abandoned it altogether. (I am told that the failure rate for these commitments is even higher the those that marry.)

Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep searching for solutions to our marital stressors. Marriage is a place that births families – children grow up around marriage, and sadly, around divorce. It’s in this environment where they learn how to – and how not to – wed well. NorthStar Community is passionate about healthy relationships, including marriage. We believe that future generations are counting on us to get this “right”! The good news from our perspective is that God is also interested in our marriages, and He is eager to equip us to live well, and even contentedly with our beloved spouses. One way that we show our devotion to God is by valuing the things that are precious to Him. Our families, our marriages, all our relationships, are important to God. Scripture tells us that the eyes of the Lord roam to and fro looking for a person deeply committed to God. He looks so that He might find, and when He find, He strengthens. In the New Testament, the book of James reminds us that God is eager and willing to give wisdom to all, without finding fault. I love that verse. Even though my husband and I may not have a clue how to be the couple God desires us to become, when we ask, He gives us wisdom without finger-pointing and name calling.

We’ll keep you posted when we have seminars related to building better marriages. If you look at our resources, you will find lots of educational helps that may encourage you in this area. If you have any specific questions, perhaps some of us have asked and answered them in the past – send them along to “Ask Teresa” and we’ll see if someone in our group can respond in a way that is helpful to you personally.