YouVersion Logo
Search Icon

Designed to LastSample

Designed to Last

DAY 3 OF 5

Fortify Your Marriage

Why not be our spouse’s best friend? That doesn’t mean we have to have all the same interests. It doesn’t mean that we have to love watching game day or a rom-com with them. But what if we challenged ourselves to learn to love the things our spouse loved. To practice daily living selflessly and with an intention of building up the single organism God has beautifully unified. It’s a daily practice, but with ongoing benefits. We’ve seen a shift in our marriage the past few years when we stopped trying to change one another to fit our needs, instead seeking after the needs of each other and asking God to lead us in that pursuit.

The days are evil, and they are only getting more evil, perilous, and difficult for marriages. Fortify your marriage; build high, protective walls around it. Men, protect your thoughts and eyes by adopting the lesson King David learned the hard way: “I will not look with approval on anything that is vile” (Psalm 101:3, NIV). Women, revere your husbands and seek to come alongside them in crafting an intentional marriage. Men, lead your family in Christ, washing them with the Word of God as a servant-leader. The church’s leader is the ultimate servant, Jesus Christ. To be Christlike is to be a Christian, a term that began historically as a slur, an insult hurled at Jesus-followers, calling them “little Christs.” What if, in our marriages, we could be accused of serving so sacrificially that we are worthy of such a slur. Today spend time praying that God will show you how you can submit yourself to Christ’s will for what He has for your marriage.

Day 2Day 4

About this Plan

Designed to Last

We’re Dino and Ashley Petrone, and we have a passion for healthy, God-centered marriages. We pray that by sharing our own experiences of confronting our failures, seeking after the future, and being intentional, we can encourage others by suggesting ways to move forward with a God-centered marriage.

More