The Gifts of Marriage - Purpose

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 avai