Your marriage is about more than just you and your family. It’s also about everyone around you. As you make an intentional effort to strengthen your marriage, you are giving society a glimpse of the redemptive power of this God-ordained institution. The front line of the battle for marriage isn’t Congress or the courts or the media. It’s each and every Christian home. In his book Marriage Done Right, Jim Daly challenges Christians to preserve this invaluable institution:
Since God created man for companionship, it makes sense that many of us fear loneliness most of all. Studies have confirmed that loneliness is on the rise in America, even as we’re increasingly connected technologically. By some estimates, 60 million Americans — 20 percent of the population — are chronically lonely.
A deep longing
No wonder so many fear the loss of marriage as an institution. If there is no marriage, there is no hope of that long walk into the sunset with your aging spouse by your side. Ronald Reagan, whose love affair with his beloved Nancy has been so well chronicled, perfectly captured what we long for in marriage: “Nancy’s power was the power of, well, giving me a marriage that was like an adolescent’s dream of what marriage should be.”
Even while he was president, Reagan used to stand by the window in the White House and watch for the lights of the car that would bring his Nancy home. I can relate. I travel quite a bit in my role at Focus on the Family and have grown accustomed to the rhythm of life on the road. In fact, I’m usually so busy that I don’t have time to be lonely. But when I’m home and Jean’s traveling, it’s entirely different. I miss her terribly. In those moments, I appreciate her companionship all the more, and my convictions about the sanctity of marriage are renewed.
Our responsibility
Indeed, all Christians are called to preserve this God-ordained institution and share with their neighbors its benefits and His ultimate reasons for it. We have a story to tell — the story of man’s longing to give himself to another and to receive the other’s gift of self, the story of the gift of God that satisfies that longing in a holy lifelong partnership. We will show that marriage is a timeless treasure to be respected and protected.
