“Marriage is hard worth it.”
This is what a t-shirt display whispered to us as we made our way through the bookstore. I wanted to whisper back and say, yes it is WORTH it, but please don’t try to tell me it’s not hard. It is hard and without Christ I would even say impossible. Being a Christ follower isn’t easy. Consider the following verses:

“And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’”Luke 9:29

“And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 10:22

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:13-14

“We can’t do [insert anything and everything here] without Jesus’ help. We’re NOTHING without Him. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

“For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13

'“But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” Matthew 19:26

Chris and I attended our first marriage retreat in March. Neither of us knew exactly what we were going to experience. We both had some reservations of what it might entail, but decided to give it a go. Telling ourselves, “hey, we do marriage groups with couples from church, so this will be good research and another resource to add to the tool kit.” There’s always that thought in the back of someone’s mind (or at least the fear) that rumors will begin to emerge that there is trouble in the marriage and that’s the only reason they’d attend a marriage retreat. Well I’m here to say that’s true! Of our marriage and of your marriage. Trouble is lingering and waiting to pounce on our marriages. Why is it so hard to admit that our marriage isn’t perfect, that it is extremely important in God’s eyes and that it is absolutely imperative that we do everything we can to invest in it with maintenance and protection.

Friend, God's purpose for marriage is to be a picture of the covenant relationship between Christ and His Bride, the Church. Our marriages are a tool in God’s Hand to point others to Jesus! So yeah, extreme importance here.

Chris and I attended the “Weekend to Remember” marriage retreat with 1100 other people and we can’t recommend it enough. If you have questions about the retreat, don’t hesitate to get with either of us. Jesus cares about your marriage and so do we.

If you’re married, or thinking about marriage, please know you’re not alone and that there is NO perfect marriage. God should be first in your life and your marriage next with God at the center. The enemy loves nothing more than a troubled marriage that isn’t actively and daily putting that relationship above all other earthly relationships.

Love in Christ,

Michelle