INHERITANCE magazine

There are many articles about relationships that discuss compatibility or having “good chemistry,” but I wonder how many of us think about how our relationships affect our desire to be missional. God wants us to use every aspect of our lives to reflect the Gospel. And, let me remind you, missions is not just about going overseas. We can be missional by sending missionaries, praying for missionaries, mobilizing our churches, welcoming internationals, and learning about missions, as well as going overseas.

One of the questions I think a dating couple needs to ask is: Is our relationship encouraging us or hindering us from being missional? I don’t believe that God wants us simply to marry a person who makes us happy, or whom we have fun with, or with whom we get along well. Such qualities are certainly good, but what we are aiming for is God’s best. This means that our relationships ought to be about more than just our own gratification. Our relationships have the ability to influence our communities, as well as ourselves. For that reason, I think that it is important that we find a partner who can help us grow in our passion to see the nations be reached with the Gospel.

I hope that this series might also help those who are now married to make a new effort to make their marriage missional. God uses our marriages to sanctify us, and growing in our love for the unreached is part of that sanctification. I encourage all couples to examine their relationship and ask God how they might play a greater part in what God is doing in the world.