What is consecration and how does it pertain to a marriage?

For many young married couples they might enter into a marriage thinking of all the joy and bliss they will experience for the rest of their lives. This joy might last for the first few weeks or months and then reality hits. Sometimes it can hit hard. As beautiful and fun as a new marriage may be, regular life still has to be experienced. Once the wedding is over and only memories of the honeymoon exist, a young couple might find that trying to navigate through this new stage of life is a bit harder than expected. 

Through personal experience I have learned that living a routine, sometimes even mundane life can actually become quite a beautiful scene. The beauty comes when I chose to create an attitude of gratitude in my home. It comes in appreciating the mundane marriage. In the book Drawing Heaven into Your Marriage,  Dr. H. Wallace Goddard wrote “Our minds and our hearts may wander. But those who consecrate themselves to their marriage by bringing their whole souls as an offering to the everyday events of a relationship are building a storehouse of sweet memories. They are building an eternal relationship one brick at a time.”

Creating a happy successful marriage is possible but sometimes it’s not easy. Over the years I have learned that for most marriages that end in divorce, the fall of the marriage can be described in one word. That word is selfishness. Selfishness breeds disrespect, disdain, pride and even hatred. The gospel of Jesus Christ breeds the exact opposite of selfishness and a covenant marriage in Christ’s gospel requires consecration. Dr. Goddard writes, “Consecration is a covenant that moves us from asking how we can get our needs met to asking how we can bless and serve. We become more grateful. Rather than wondering if this marriage is a good investment that will pay us a handsome return, we ask for heavenly grace that we may love and serve as Jesus served - without thought of reward. While there are destructive relationships that should end, the vast majority of relationships can survive and flourish if each of us brings our whole soul as an offering.”

To become consecrated in a marriage is possible - completely possible - but it “requires a transformation of character” as quoted by Dr. Goddard. He goes on to say, “In serving and giving to those within our family stewardship as well as demonstrating patience and continually forgiving our spouses for all the ways they might not meet our expectations, we have the opportunity to emulate Christ, thus transforming ourselves.”

What will you do today in your marriage relationship to start that transformation?