This past weekend I had the privilege of taking my Young Life small group of girls (known as Campaigners) to a camp designed especially for Campaigners. It was quite the squeeze into my busy photography schedule, but I felt like it was something God wanted me to do.
As with most camps, there were seminars for the kids to go to. Relationships and Dating was of course on the list and we, of course, ended up going there. Â Now, I’ve been to many of these types of talks, so I wasn’t really expecting to get much out of it, but wanted to set a good example by listening and taking notes.
Light bulb ON!
I like to think that God laughs when my pride comes out because this couple that gave the talk, brought it from a whole new angle, and thing that really stuck out to me was that when you get married, you’ve made a commitment to CHOOSE that person everyday of your life from your wedding day forward.
Maybe I thought I always “chose” Ryan. I mean, he’s my husband right? So I chose him.
When I really unpacked the idea of what it meant (which I am still doing), it’s powerful.
What’s wrong with just looking?
Too many times we can get distracted.
For example, being married 10 years, sometimes it’s affirming to go out somewhere and catch that attractive guy/girl’s eye and know you still got “it.” You know what I’m talking about.
In those moments of insecurity or whatever you want to call it – the door for temptation gets cracked open.
Maybe you make eye-contact a little longer than you should or you’re super aware of when that nice-looking person is glancing your way (this might be more ladies than men) – either way, in your mind you’re exploring the thought of of life without your spouse (not a good path to journey down).
For guys, maybe it’s the temptation of checking things out on your computer or phone that would cause you to stumble.
Whatever the stumbling block, one way to avoid them is to CHOOSE your spouse.
What does “choosing your spouse daily” mean?
What does this actually mean? What does it look like?
For starters, it means waking up and making the decision (and maybe even saying it out loud to yourself) “I choose (fill in your spouse’s name) today.”
Choosing to be committed to him/her when the moments of insecurity come. Choosing to admire, love and respect your spouse rather than look around to see if someone better is out there.
As married folks in this day and age, it’s imperative that we set boundaries and fight for our marriage in a way like never before in history.
Choosing your spouse daily; choosing to honor them, choosing that ONE person is a mighty way to fiercely protect your marriage.
Why do I need to choose my spouse?
When we wake up in the morning and make the decision to love our spouse, our days change; our mind-set changes and distractions fade.
Later in the day, when temptation pops it’s ugly head out, we can attack it with, “I choose my wife/husband.” — For me, it’s caused my focus to change instantly.
Personally, I want my life to glorify God in every way – most especially in my marriage.
By choosing choosing to love and honor Ryan (like I vowed on my wedding day) not only strengthens our relationship, but most importantly, it brings glory back to God.
Question: What’s one way you can CHOOSE your spouse today?
Have you heard of the The 31-Day Pursuit Challenge?
Every marriage begins with passion, purpose, and pursuit, but few stay that way. That’s why we wrote Husband in Pursuit and Wife in Pursuit Together, they make what we’re calling the 31-Day Pursuit Challenge. Couples are encouraged take the challenge together. We’re already starting to hear stories of transformed marriages! Are you up for the challenge?
