The Pilgrimage of Marriage

So there I was... waiting for the 9 PM hour to roll around on the night of my wedding... standing in my suit, looking at the guests, and realizing that I was embarking on a true life-long journey! And out she came!!! The epitome of all beauty, walking towards me with bouquet in hand, ready to take this journey with me. This is where we began our pilgrimage.

So often, people think of pilgrimage as merely an action. However, as I was sitting in a lecture by Christian George (author, Sex, Sushi & Salvation and Godology), he pointed out that pilgrimage is both an action AND an attitude. He referenced the many times in the Word where people are traveling from one place to another to perform good works. Most heavily, he spoke of a three-year walk that this one guy took all over the Jewish world. What was His name??? Oh, right... JESUS CHRIST. He was constantly on a pilgrimage to spread the Good News, and it was, for Him, much more than an action. His attitude about the whole thing is what made it so powerful for others. I believe that this is why when He would tell people to follow Him, they could not refuse.

Also, as I looked through the notes about Christian's lecture, I ran across a verse that proves my belief in the Pilgrimage of Marriage fully. And as I read it, I thought back to that night and all the things racing through my head before my bride entered. Would it last? Would we be happy? What would the fighting be about? Where would we live? How many kids? So on and so on, until finally she came and stood on my left, and we were married. But regardless of where we decided to live, or what the fights would be about, or how many kids we would have, we were now two aliens paired together to live in the world, but not of the world, and had to avoid sinful desires.
1 Pet 2:11

In fact, as Christian spoke, I was reminded of the pilgrimage I have been on for the last eight years, and I thought of the one crucial rule to pilgrimage; DO NOT STOP! So often in this world, we give up on our race before we finish. But, as so many people point out throughout the Bible and all history, completion of your race is of the utmost importance, whether you win or lose or land in between. Finish strong! And remember, the race must go on, even while we wait. John Waller puts it best in his song, "While I'm Waiting," saying that he will be running the race, even while he waits. (And, in case you haven't noticed, our Christian church was born while people waited on God... in fervent prayer together... on a pilgrimage of the heart to be stronger and bolder in faith for the Lord Jesus.)
Acts 2:1-4

So we have been running our race, and have fallen down at times and gotten back up. We have slowed and sped up. We have had a fairly "normal" pilgrimage thus far, but with one exception. We started this marriage on a Friday night, and on the following Sunday morning, I was the first man my wife ever invited to share her faith. I was informed that I was to become a spiritual leader of our home, and that it was my responsibility. It was overwhelming at first, but I went to church with her. (I was already a Christian, just not a member of any given denomination or church.)

We have been Baptists ever since, and I have truly begun to embrace my role as the Spiritual Head of our family. It is sad to admit that it took this long, but the race has never stopped. And it will not stop. Ever.

The key to this was when we both realized that our own egos HAD to be put down. And I do not mean put down as in setting them down on the floor for a moment... I mean put down like an incurable animal. PUT DOWN FOREVER. It is in the moments when we forget this inevitable truth that the enemy finds his way into our home. It is in these moments that our 4th Wall begins to crack. But, blessedly, we can call upon the One who never faces impossibility!
Jer 32:27

Today, I ask that whatever your denomination, whatever your core beliefs about worship and prayer, discuss them with your spouse and further your own pilgrimage of marriage. And spend time in prayer both separately and together, cleansing your heart before the Lord, so that you might approach your next leg of the race with a clear mindset of what must be done. And, as I always pray for all of you, if you are not involved somewhere in a church, please reach out and find one to plug into. The greatest advancements in any marriage happen with Christ at the center, and that is fact in BOTH the Bible and the secular world we live in, statistically proven.

So take time today to pray together. Pray about what the race looks like for you, and what it should look like for those watching you... because they are watching you. Whether it's your kids or co-workers or family members or friends, your pilgrimage is on display every day. Honor the Father who created all things, including you and your marriage, by running the race well. And never forget, the one member of the crowd watching that really matters.... that's Him!

God bless you all!!!

To learn more about Christian George, visit www.christiangeorge.org and buy one of his books!