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IS MARRIAGE REALLY WORTH IT?
Kris Vallotton
March 2, 2017
Have you ever considered moving in with your boyfriend or girlfriend before getting married? Or maybe you have a friend or loved one who has done this? These days I think that living with someone before marriage has become more and more attractive to people.
The reasoning I’ve heard behind this practice is that it’s great to try living with someone to see if you’re a good fit, to see if you live well together, before fully committing to the long haul. I guess in some ways this can sound like a wise choice, to test the waters and see what you’re really getting yourself into, but I have to say that I’m pretty concerned about the effects on the hearts of those who are considering this kind of a move in a relationship.
It saddens me to think about the deep covenant that this kind of thinking will lead you to miss out on. Cohabiting is about passion but it misses out on the beauty that comes when passion and sacrifice meet. Check out this video to hear more on God’s heart for covenant relationships and marriage, and I hope the undeniable and messy beauty of sacrificing for love inspires you into greater depths of connection!
So today I want to encourage you to start looking at your deepest relationships in a new light, under the effervescence of rich love that is built on the unity of passion and sacrifice. I want to challenge you to take the vulnerable step beyond convenience, and give yourself to covenant. You may lose your life through this, but it will only be so that you can gain it in the end. Trust me when I say it’s worth it! After 41 years of marriage to Kathy, I have never regretted a day that I’ve died to myself for the sake of our connection, and my life is so much richer because of it!
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Gen Z, labeled as the seemingly lost generation to Christianity, and Gen Alpha, the digital natives immersed in screens, stand at the crossroads of an era defined by the rapid evolution of technology. As they navigate the evolving landscape of identity, both personal and global, a crucial question reverberates: "Has the Church lost this next generation?"
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