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 the Persian King Darius. A legendary run by a Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens, is the foundation of the modern marathon, which takes place in cities around the world, with tens of thousands of runners participating in the largest.
The marathon is a long-distance road race with an official distance of 26 7/32 miles, requiring great strength and stamina. A sprint, on the other hand, is a short-distance race, which requires 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 comes to marriage, bringing emotional and spiritual baggage, and often many wounds. MarathonRookie.com says that many beginning runners “notice shin or knee pain and ignore it. They keep running and BAM, it hits them. You’re done. Game Over. Be aware of the warning signs and how to deal with 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 broken hearts. Sometimes healing from deep wounds such as parental rejection, abandonment, childhood abuse, dysfunctional relationships in adulthood, abortion, responsibility for drugs, alcohol or pornography, and gambling addictions can require professional advice, 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 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,’ would you have 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, hate cooking, and not a morning person. After all, you go out on weekends to the Japanese or Italian restaurant, where they cook the delicious food, wash the dishes, and after your talks and snuggles until midnight at their house, you go home and sleep, and 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 small details will help you get to know your fiancé better, and you’ll have fewer “nasty surprises” like him being a “mess” or she 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 workout. “If you feel really strong when you start training and want to run more, PLEASE resist the temptation. By going the extra mile, you are substantially increasing your chance of injury.”
Going too fast in a relationship can also increase the 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 get to know this person before the wedding day!
5. Incorrect training program. In Luke 6:47-49 (NKJV), the story of the man who built his house on the foundation of the rock, and it stood firm in the midst of the fierce 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 get 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 that some runners choose a program that is more difficult than they can handle and end up giving it up. Jesus said: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Apart from me you can do nothing.” We need God’s help with our marriage 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 be to simply finish. This should also be our goal in marriage, to do everything possible to avoid divorce. It takes long-term love, mutual honor, commitment, affection, and open and honest communication to make a marriage work for the long haul. A great sense of humor helps too!
Some people marry with the goal that the other person will make them happy and complete them. Only God can fill 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 dedicating all of our time to personal projects to “get ahead” 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 there is bad weather, an injury, illness or work that can prevent you from running and cause you to lose your 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, nosy 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 quickly nowadays and file for divorce. “No miracle could he do there, but he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled at their unbelief. And he went around the villages in a circle, teaching.
MarathonRookie.Com says beginning runners start training and have a hard time finishing their first five-mile run. After that, they give up, thinking they could never do a marathon. “But Jesus looked at them and said: “For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26, NKJV) 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 hard and that it is far better (for your sake, for your kids’ sake, for your career’s sake, for your sanity, or for your checking account’s sake) to divorce. . Many married couples do not get the support they need to help their marriages succeed from family, friends, co-workers, and even professional and spiritual counselors.
If you are seeing a professional counselor who tells 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 unholy advice to one or both of them. You may even have to cut off contact with them for a while or permanently. Your marriage is your most important priority, under God.
As the marriage goes, the family goes. As the family goes, the community goes. As the community goes, the state goes. As the state goes, the nation goes. As the nation goes, the world goes! Successful marriages have far-reaching consequences!
God told Abraham that he and his seed would be blessed forever, for all future generations! Because of Abraham and Sarah’s faith in and obedience to God, and because of their committed marriage, his children 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 years of barrenness? Yet Sarah stayed, despite her great pain and emptiness… and God rewarded her with her own baby, Isaac, meaning “laughter.”
10. Stretch. Beginning runners often underestimate the importance of stretching, which gives them less pain, puts them at a 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 may 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 it must outrun the fastest lion or it will die. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle, or it will die.” hungry It doesn’t matter if you’re a lion or a gazelle, when the sun rises, you better be running.” – Unknown