Why Does It Matter to Prepare for Marriage?
We spend years preparing for a career:
- Preschool
- Kindergarten
- Elementary School
- Middle School/Jr. High
- High School
- Trade school
- Apprenticeships
- College
- Grad School
- Fellowships
- Training
- Continuing Education. . . the list goes on and on
Each of us spends thousands of hours (costing thousands of dollars) getting ready for a career. But next to our relationship with God is career the most important thing in life? No, it’s your marriage. Surely, after spending all that effort for a career, you must have spent a great deal of time and effort preparing for marriage. . . Oh? You haven’t?
I was one of those “Oh? You haven’t?” people too. A divorce later, I’ve learned that a marriage is not just a promise to be faithful. It’s also journey. In my case it was a journey into how to build an unhealthy relationship. A journey of dumping personal problems onto each other. Ultimately a journey of unfathomable pain.
It doesn’t have to be that way. It can be a journey of learning to cultivate a healthy relationship. A journey of understanding and working out personal problems. A journey of learning how to bless and be blessed.
There will be a journey. Which journey will you take?
Your Journey
Each person’s journey is a bit different. Backgrounds, situations and personalities all play a role. In consultation with a couple Adventist psychologists, I have prepared a set of resources and tailored those to fit some common situations dating people find themselves in. Don’t wait until you are engaged or married to start this journey. The road to a healthy relationship is best started long before you say “I do”.
Warning: Don’t expect this to be short or easy. Plan to devote significant time and a small outlay of funds on books and materials. (You should be able to acquire a good library on the topic for well under $100.) If a mate isn’t worth an investment of time and money, you shouldn’t be dating!
I encourage everyone to reach beyond these resources and take advantage of other materials/resources that may be available to you. In particular, I highly recommend finding a good Adventist counselor (or Christian counselor if an Adventist counselor is not available) to discuss these issues with.
Click on the following link that matches your situation: