Last spring our church hosted a run called: 30 for Freedom. People ran many miles to raise money to stop sex trafficking. Some people even ran about twenty-six miles. (I rode my bike thirty miles).
When I think of that run, I think of a marathon. Today I want to share some of the similarities between marriage and a marathon. Specifically, marriage is a marathon, not a sprint. When you say, “I do” you are committing yourself to the other person for the long haul.
How do you build a marriage that survives and thrives over the years? Here are a few principles:
1. The hard work principle.
To run a marathon you need to train hard. You work hard to get in shape. You don’t just show up the day of the run without any training and say: I hope for the best.
Similarly, good marriages take hard work. They take training. Sometimes we could think if I married the right person it should be easy. Wrong. All marriages take hard work. I often quip to couples that I am officiating their wedding ceremony: A marriage certificate is a work permit.
2. The Higher Cause principle.
Why did the people run the marathon last summer at our church? For a higher reason. They were running to raise money to stop sex trafficking. Similarly, run the marathon of marriage for a higher purpose: to glorify God and love him.
1 Corinthians 10:31 says: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Notice that whatever we are to do we are to do it to glorify God. I want to encourage you to make the higher cause of your marriage to glorify God. Develop the attitude: “We are running this marathon of marriage for something bigger than ourselves, we are running it for the glory of God.”
3. The perseverance principle
When people run a marathon they can hit something called the wall. This is when they feel like they have nothing left in the tank to give. Often they feel like quitting.
You may experience something similar in your married life. All marriages have good times and low times. It's like a roller coaster. Up times and low times.
One of my favorite books in the bible is the book of Psalms. One of the reasons I like that book is because it shares how the psalmist would be going through high times, and then in the next chapter they may be going through the low times. Life is like that. So is marriage.
If you were to ask couples who have been married for many years what their story is like they would say: Ups and downs (If they are honest).
Marriage is about committing yourself to your partner in the good times and bad times.
In conclusion:
Marriage is a marathon, not a sprint. May God help you to run together with your spouse, knowing that all marriages take hard work, a higher perspective, and bulldog perseverance.
