Your Marriage, Your Future, and a Holy Imagination: A 5-Day Reading PlanSample

Day 3: Take Small Steps Toward Your Goal

If you want a new marriage and have decided to embark on this journey of staying and growing, then you must determine the new thing God wants to do and where He wants to begin. Marriage and lasting love are wonderful gifts God gives the human heart and soul.

Marriage, as a divine gift, allows for change, security, growth, stability, passion, and promise. Proverbs 16:9 reminds us that we can make plans, but God directs our steps. Similarly, James 4:8 encourages us to draw near to God, taking small steps toward Him and trusting Him to guide our goals. Setting clear goals for our marriage journey, as mentioned in these scriptures, becomes a tangible expression of faith and a pathway to transformation. No two people are more poised and ready to let God do a new thing in them than two people committed first to God and then to each other.

If you have ever set a goal to accomplish a new thing, break a bad habit, or change a lifestyle, you know how challenging it can be, and how achieving your goal can be nearly impossible if you don’t have clear steps for what you will do or stop doing to achieve it. You understand that big goals must be broken down into smaller, more attainable goals that can then be broken down into weekly, daily, and hourly steps.

The same must be true when we let God do a new thing in us and our marriage. We must be clear about what we are asking, how much time we will devote to achieving a chosen goal, and what right actions we will take while we wait for God to do what only He can.

If you’re not sure where to start, spend some time today speaking to God about what your dreams for your marriage are. Then ask Him to reveal to you what baby steps (or big steps!) you could take this week toward a stronger, healthier relationship.

Reflect

What is one goal I could set for my marriage to feel or look “new” in the next week or month? (Or, if I’m feeling ambitious, I could make a list of several possibilities.)

Prayer

Dear God, please place goals on my heart today that will bring new life to my marriage. Help me to know how to turn these goals into action, then provide me with the will and the strength to follow through with them.