I remember as an athlete in High School, one of my coaches said something that still to this day resonates with me. He said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road can take you there.” As a young, adventurous and tenacious adolescent, I struggled to understand this concept initially. It wasn’t until I matured into adulthood that it finally clicked. No matter where you’re from, if you don’t have a vision for your life, your career or your marriage, you will spend idle time, energy and effort going absolutely nowhere. I believe one of the most cunning schemes of the devil is to distract you from going in the direction of divine destiny and pursuing God’s plan for your life. In marriage, this is critical because the two of you become one unit that God joined together to be fruitful, multiply and have dominion (Genesis 1:28). In the daily grind of life, we often lose sight of God’s vision for our marriage while we focus more on the hustle and bustle of our careers, kid’s events, recreational activities, our own agendas, etc. Although we have good intentions, this “busyness” can become a huge detriment to our marriage.
I once heard a preacher say, “If the devil can’t make you sin, he will make you busy.” I’ll be the first to admit, I can find a million and one other things to do other than the assignment God has given me. When it’s time to read the Word, pray or minister to someone, so many distractions come out of nowhere to distract me from focusing on God’s agenda. Is it just me or do you also find yourself scrolling on social media, chatting with friends or watching television and by the time you look up, hours have passed and you still haven’t spent time with God in prayer or devotion? It’s interesting how your phone can be idle all day long but as soon as you open your Bible, that’s when friends and family want to call or text you. Maybe it’s just me.
You’re probably asking yourself, “How does any of this relate to marriage?” I’m glad you asked. It’s the same principle of distractions and detours that affect us in marriage because after the honeymoon phase wanes and you advance in your careers, have children and life starts "lifeing," that’s when it becomes more difficult to remember the vision of where God is taking you in your marriage and ministry. Sometimes it is necessary to pull over at a rest stop to refuel, recalibrate and reset. Dear friends, God has a specific plan for your marriage and it is vitally important for you to not lose sight of His vision and plan for you. Every once in a while as husband and wife, you have to ask yourselves “Where are we going?” Take time to look at where you are and see if it is in line with the direction God wants you to go. If not, take time to pray together and seek God for guidance and ask Him to remove the distractions, conflicts and roadblocks that are preventing you from reaching your divine destiny in Him.
Prayer: Father, as we continue to grow as a married unit and as individuals, let us not lose sight of Your vision for our marriage and ministry. Help us to keep the main thing, the main thing and not be so busy that we put everything else ahead of You. Forgive us for missing the mark and for not making You a priority. We ask that You give us a clear vision of where You want us to go and let Your Holy Spirit be our navigational system to guide us to our destiny in You. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.
