Turning Toward

This week in Covenant, I plan to lead a discussion of what helps and hinders our ability to glorify God in our marriage. The Bible speaks quite a lot about the relationship between a husband and a wife, and a consistent theme is that we are to honor, love, and support each other. While that's all well and good, the Bible is not always specific in how we should go about doing that in the midst of the normal stressors of our culture, our families, our jobs, and our lives. It certainly is not always as easy as we think it will be when we say "I do".

John Gottman's book, The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, will serve as the primary practical basis for the class, but we will also look to the Bible for the general themes that should dictate the direction of marriage. One of those themes is Turning Towards. Gottman describes this, which is number three of his Seven Principles, as the moments when one partner makes a bid for connection to which the other partner positively responds. This is what Jesus modeled for us throughout the Gospels. By following His example in our marriages, even during times of conflict and hurt, healing can occur and the relationship grows. Covenant will explore this Sunday (11:00 AM, Rm. 311) how this process works or fails to work in our marriages.