Setting Goals For Marriage

Setting Goals for Marriage

Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Philippians 3:13-14

ONE OF THE BARRIERS to a growing marriage is lack of time. One wife said, “I’d like to have a good marriage, but I’m not sure I have time.” Many people can identify. There are meals to be cooked, children to be reared, lawns to be mowed, and employers to be pleased. How do we find time to do all of this and still have time for each other?

First, we must set goals. We do this in business, so why not in marriage? How often would you like to go out for dinner? How often would you like to go on a weekend trip or take a walk in the park? How often would you like to experience sexual intercourse? What would keep your marriage alive? Would you like to have a “daily sharing time” when you share your day with each other? If so, how much time would you like to invest in this? How can you pray for each other or be a spiritual encouragement to each other? These kinds of questions lead to setting meaningful goals.

In Philippians 3, the apostle Paul wrote about his own ultimate goal: reaching the end of the race—in other words, the end of his life of service to God—and winning the prize of God’s approval. He set everything else aside to make that his primary object. That single-mindedness would do us good in our marriages as well. Remember, setting goals is the first step to overcoming the barrier of time, because our goals continually remind us of what’s really most important.

Heavenly Father, it’s easy for us to waste time with things that don’t really matter. Please help us as a couple to come up with the right goals. We want to commit to doing what is best for our relationship.

Goals