The Next Year of Your MarriageSample

## Because God is faithful to me, I promise to be committed to you. Commitment seems to be going out of style today, especially when it comes to marriage. Young adults are postponing marriage or avoiding it altogether. Divorce is as common as popcorn in a movie theater. In future years, 50 th anniversary celebrations will become rare events. While many couples find it difficult to maintain their commitment in marriage year after year, we can be thankful for God’s faithfulness to us as followers of Christ. God pledges to never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). Psalm 73:26 declares, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” God will never leave us. And when you and your spouse keep your marriage covenant and remain committed to each other for a lifetime, you reflect His character. You give help and hope to a world that desperately wants to experience oneness in marriage. That’s one reason Christ declared, “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate” (Mark 10:9). One way God showed His commitment to us was by setting aside His interests and living on earth as a man. As Philippians 2 tells us, “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (v. 8). This is the attitude each of us should have toward our spouse—considering their interests more important than our own. The same passage in Philippians instructs us to “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Considering your spouse more significant than yourself is one of the biggest challenges of marriage. But that type of commitment will make your marriage last for a lifetime. ### Discuss: Read Romans 8:31-39 together. List some ways that God has shown His love and commitment to you. How can you show these same qualities to each other? ### More: Read the following article at FamilyLife.com: [ 5 Ways to Keep Your Marriage Covenant by Dennis Rainey ](http://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/marriage/staying-married/commitment/5-ways-to-keep-your-marriage-covenant?utm_campaign=TNYOYM&utm_medium=web&utm_source=youversion&utm_content=day5)