Engagement Seminar: What is Marriage?

Our personalized cover. I made two drawings on our separate folders. 

I've been hearing stories about engagement seminars to equip couples about what to expect in marriage. At Victory, we are blessed enough to be guided with leaders and help us face another season of our lives. Exciting! Thrilling! Name it!

To start of, we were interviewed about how our love story began, how it grew and what made us decide to marry each other. The responses were overwhelming. We were also asked about the wedding preparations and more importantly - the marriage itself.

Our first session talks about the definition of marriage. There were quotations to ponder if we agree or disagree on the matter. One of my favorites is...

"The Christian understands marriage as a covenant made under God and in the presence of fellow members of the Christian family. Such a pledge endures, not because of the force of law or the fear of its actions, but because an unconditional covenant has been made."

In connection with this, three important passages that I wrote are as follows:

a. 1 John 4:18-19 (We love because he first loved us.)

b. Prov. 31:12 (  good not harm, all the days of her life...)

c. Mt. 18:19 ( When two agree in prayer...)

Other definitions that lit up my night were:

"The marriage relationship is a school, a learning and growing environment in which both partners can grow and develop."

"A Christian marriage is a total commitment of two people to the person of Jesus Christ and to each other. It is a commitment in which nothing is held back. Marriage is a pledge of mutual fidelity; it is a partnership of mutual subordination. A Christian marriage is similar to a solvent, freeing up of the man and woman to be themselves and become all that God intends for them to become.. Marriage is a refining process that God will use to have us become the man or woman He wants us to become." 

Along with it are the positive reasons to get married. Thank God we are on the right track!

1. Companionship. (Check!)

2. To work together and fulfill your own and your future mate's needs. ( Of course!)

3. To fulfill sexual needs in the way God intends. (Yes!)

4. Love. (Absolutely!)

5. Because you are convinced that it is God's will for you to marry this person. (Without a doubt!)

To sum it all, here are eight marriageability traits that can make it more possible to have an enriched and satisfying marriage:

1. Adaptability and flexibility

2. Empathy

3. The ability to work through problems

4. The ability to give and receive love

5. Emotional stability

6. Communication skills

7. Similarities between the couple themselves

8. Similar background

I know that these are big words for us imperfect beings but with God's transforming grace, we can learn the art of mastering them.