The Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC. C. during the first Persian invasion. It was fought between the citizens of Athens, Greece, and the Persian forces under the rule of Persian King Darius. A legendary race of a Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens, is the basis of the modern marathon, which is held in cities around the world, with tens of thousands of runners participating in the largest ones.
The marathon is a long-distance road race with an official distance of 26 7/32 miles, which requires great strength and endurance. A sprint, on the other hand, is a short-distance run, requiring a burst of energy to run at full speed. Marriage is a marathon, not a sprint.
On the Marathon Rookie website, I found the top 10 rookie mistakes for beginning marathon runners, which also apply to marriage. They are: injury, hydration, lack of knowledge, starting too fast, wrong goal, motivation, lack of belief, lack of support, and underestimating stretching. Let’s look at each of these why marriages often struggle and fail.
1. Injury. A couple arrives at marriage, bringing emotional and spiritual baggage, and often many hurts. MarathonRookie.com says that many beginning runners “noticing pain in their shins or knees and ignore it. They keep running and BAM, it hits them. They’re done. Game Over. Be aware of the warning signs and how to treat them.”
If one person in the marriage is injured, the health of the marriage will also be affected. We need to realize that only God can heal us and make us whole, not our spouse. Men love to fix things, but they can’t fix their wives. Vice versa for wives trying to change, fix, or improve their husbands.
Jesus is the healer of wounded hearts. Sometimes healing deep wounds such as parental rejection, abandonment, childhood abuse, dysfunctional relationships in adulthood, abortion, drug, alcohol, or porn responsibility, and gambling addictions can require professional counseling, spiritual and/or pastoral liberation.
Ultimately, when we seek God’s face, study his word, and obey him, we will receive our healing. Psalm 107:20 says, “he sent his word and healed them, and delivered them from his destruction.”
2. Hydration. MarathonRookie.com says that runners become dehydrated because they underestimate the amount of water their bodies need during training. Married couples don’t realize how much they need the “living waters” of Jesus each day to make their marriage last. In John 4:10 (NKJV), Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well, “Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have given him asked, and he would have given you living water.”
3. Lack of knowledge. When you’re dating, let’s face it, your fiancé doesn’t realize what he’s really getting himself into! He doesn’t know that you’re a clean freak, that you hate cooking, and that you’re not a morning person. After all, you go out on the weekends to the Japanese or Italian restaurant, where they cook the delicious food, do the dishes, and after your chats and snuggles until midnight at their place, you go home and sleep, and you sleep in the Next. Morning!
Couples may see some things that worry them while dating, but they often don’t really see with their “love blinders” on. They are too focused on how wonderful this person is and how they are going to be happy for the rest of their lives. A longer dating period, asking probing questions, and paying attention to the little details will help you get to know your fiancé better, and you’ll have fewer “nasty surprises” like him being a “messy” or her having a new addiction. to the shoes – after saying “Yes, I accept”.
4. Starting too fast. MarathonRookie.com says that beginning runners try to run more miles than their scheduled training. “If you feel really strong when you start training and want to run more, PLEASE resist the urge. By going the extra mile, you are substantially increasing your chance of injury.”
Going too fast in a relationship can also increase your chances of getting hurt. This is especially true in a relationship where there is a lot of intense chemistry. Lust will not see you through the years; willingness to compromise and love! Take it easy and meet this person before the wedding day!
5. Wrong training program. In Luke 6:47-49 (NKJV), the story of the man who built his house on foundation rock, and it stood firm in the midst of the heavy storm, is a perfect picture of a good marriage that will endure. . Married couples will face many storms over the years, and having your marriage built on the principles of God’s word is what will see you through these storms.
Some couples had the wrong “training program” as they were never taught the truth of God’s word and do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ. MarathonRunner.com says some runners pick a program that’s harder than they can handle and end up quitting. Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Apart from me you can do nothing.” We need God’s help with our marital problems. All we have to do is come to Him in humble faith, and He will give us everything we need.
6. Wrong goal. Some runners focus on finishing the marathon quickly. This is the wrong target and increases the chances of getting injured and not finishing at all. The goal of the marathon for a beginner should simply be to finish. This should also be our goal in marriage, to do everything possible to avoid divorce. Long-term love, mutual honor, commitment, affection, and open and honest communication are needed for a marriage to work for the long term. A great sense of humor helps too!
Some people get married with the goal of the other person making them happy and complete. Only God can fill us and complete us. We need to let go of unreasonable expectations of our husband or wife, and not put that kind of pressure on them.
We may also have other goals that are quite selfish in nature, such as our own personal career or business success, to the detriment of marriage and family, ambitiously devoting all our time to personal “getting ahead” projects, while neglecting the very ones we need. we love. Balance is the key. Time with our husband or wife lets them know that we love and enjoy them.
7. Motivation. Just as in a race when bad weather, injury, illness, or work can prevent you from running and cause you to lose motivation to continue, there are problems that occur in a marriage that cause a husband or wife to lose their motivation to continue the race. marriage. Financial stress, demands from children, meddling relatives and friends, pressures at work, a nagging spouse, infidelity or pornography, addictions, fatigue, boredom can all play a role in desire. of one of the spouses to leave the marriage. Keep your eye on the goal; to finish strong. Never give up!
8. Lack of belief. In Mark 6:5-6, unbelief hindered God’s purposes. People often give up too easily and too quickly nowadays, and file for divorce. “No miracle could he do there, but he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled at their unbelief. He then he would go around the villages in a circle, teaching.”
MarathonRookie.Com says beginning runners start training and have a hard time finishing their first five-mile race. After that, they give up, thinking they could never do a marathon. “But Jesus looked at them and said: With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26, NIV) We need to have faith and believe that God will heal our marriages.
9. Lack of support. The world is too eager to tell you that marriage is too difficult and that it is much better (for your sake, for the sake of your children, for the sake of your career, for your sanity, or for the sake of your checking account) to get divorced. . Many married couples don’t get the support they need to help their marriages succeed from family, friends, co-workers, and even professional counselors and spiritual advisers.
If you are seeing a professional counselor who is telling you to divorce your spouse for any reason other than infidelity, spousal or child abuse or neglect, then RUN! Sometimes a couple may need to draw boundaries with people who are critical of their marriage, or who are giving one or both of them ungodly advice. You may even have to cut off contact with them temporarily or permanently. Your marriage is your highest priority, under God.
As marriage goes, family goes. As goes the family, goes the community. As goes the community, goes the state. As goes the state, goes the nation. As goes the nation, goes the world! Successful marriages have far reaching consequences!
God told Abraham that he and his offspring would be blessed forever, for all future generations! Because of Abraham and Sarah’s faith and obedience to God, and because of their committed marriage, their children by him and all future generations were blessed!
Don’t you think their marriage might have been a bit strained when Abraham slept with Sarah’s servant, and she became pregnant by Ishmael, after Sarah had been barren for years? Yet Sarah stayed, despite the great pain and emptiness of her…and God rewarded her with her own baby, Isaac, which means “laughter.”
10. Stretch. Beginning runners often underestimate the importance of stretching, which causes less pain, puts them at lower risk of injury, and gives them greater flexibility and a longer stride. Extend your arms to Jesus and to your husband or wife. Do your best in your love and devotion. Bend, cooperate, be understanding, show mercy and forgiveness. This will help your marriage last.
Don’t be so rigid and set in your ways, insisting that you’re right all the time, that you can’t meet your spouse halfway or more. Lay down your life for the sake of your marriage. Through the years of your marriage, you will learn that “reaching out” in faith and love will enhance your marriage relationship and create greater tenderness, affection, respect, and passion in your marriage.
A sprint can get you to the finish line faster, but a marathon has incredible prizes. Go for the gold in marriage. Do the marathon and win!
“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows that it must outrun the fastest lion or it will die. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows that it must outrun the slowest gazelle, or it will die. starving It doesn’t matter if you’re a lion or a gazelle, when the sun comes up, you better be running.” – Unknown