Good morning, Five Minute Families. We hope you have enjoyed the Gifts of Marriage series. We had a newly married couple ask for a copy of the transcript of this series recently and want to let you know how you can get your own copy. Head over to our blog at the clearviewretreat.org website or look at the Five Minute Family podcast on your favorite podcast app or contact us directly from our Facebook page. And know that we can host discussion-style marriage retreats at CVR for you and your fellow married friends.

Today, we are diving into the ‘gift of purpose’ that marriage brings. We are not talking about the biblical purpose of marriage but about the ‘gift of purpose’ a married couple who puts God first will enjoy.

Let’s start with a question taken from the Westminster catechism. To clarify, the Westminster catechism is a summary of the principles of the Christian religion in the form of questions and answers. So, the first question is ‘what is the chief end of man?’ And, the answer is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Psalm 138:8 reminds us that “[t]he Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” Again, God created each of us for a purpose.

And, thus, each marriage has a unique purpose in the kingdom of God. A married couple must have intentionality in their actions and activities. Just like Ephesians 2:10 indicates, each couple will have a unique purpose in advancing God’s kingdom. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” God doesn’t just have a purpose for marriage in general, but He has a specific purpose for your marriage as His gift for you to enjoy.

We know couples that go on short-term missions trips together one week a year. Other couples that work on their church’s VBS together, even if they don’t have kids in the elementary age-group. We know couples who teach pre-marital classes at their church, leaving the pastor available for the counseling portion. One couple devoted their lives to serving in the church such that when one was needed on a fulltime volunteer basis for his church’s production team, his wife got a different full time job to support the family until the church was able to hire him on.

And, not every couple will be involved in organized “Christian” ministries but they will share the mission-mindedness God encourages all believers. One couple chooses to carry an extra $20 bill in their pockets at all times and share them as the Holy Spirit leads and then share the stories with one another. We have known couples volunteer to coach sports in order to be a Christian influence in the children’s lives; one member of the couple may have the sports skill, but the support of the other with time, snacks, and cheering can matter just as much. One couple began hosting the local football team for a meal before the local game. They made sure that anyone who needed a ride had one and that the fellowship was lighthearted. The kids began asking more questions, and outside football season would sometimes ask to get together to pray.

If you are unsure of God’s purpose for your marriage, you can review together five areas John MacArthur outlines that are explicitly mentioned in the Bible about what God’s will or plan for us is. Those five things are:

1. To be saved,
2. to be Spirit-filled,
3. to be sanctified,
4. to be submissive to one another,
5. and to be willing to suffer for the sake of the Lord

As Dr. Macarthur states, “If you’re saved, Spirit-filled, sanctified, submissive, suffering, and thankful – do whatever you want.” Obviously, he is not referring to sinful behavior but to behavior that pours out of those five areas God outlines that you do as His followers. If one of you is not there yet in these explicit areas of God’s will, then the spouse’s responsibility is to be praying for the other and listening quietly to the Holy Spirit’s leading as you work together to find purpose. If as a couple you work individually and together to seek God’s will or purpose, then He will show you. You might need to focus solely on yourselves as a couple or your family to grow closer to God through family discipleship and biblical community studies. There is a time for absorbing God’s Word before we head out to share it with others.

By the way, for more details about those you can go to the ‘Grace to You’ website, or check out ours for a link. https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/80-310

Marriage takes work. It takes intentional intimacy. Marriage provides so many sweet gifts that we will appreciate all the more when we understand the depth of God’s love and perspective of our spouses.

May He guide you in finding and pursuing the purpose he has for you and your spouse, and may you see all the joys marriage provides.

Thank you for joining us today. Be blessed!