This weekend, our church hosted its first ever marriage retreat. We had an absolutely incredible time! We laughed a lot together, but it was more than just entertainment.
Dr. Chuck Hannaford was our speaker, and he delivered some powerful stuff! Many, if not all, of the couples that attended were greatly impacted by the teaching.
It is hard to summarize a weekend at the “fire hydrant”, but I want to share some quotes here that impacted my life and worldview as a husband. Some may seem obvious, but a reminder was definitely necessary. Others were like taking a slap to the side of the forehead. Here we go:
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“Loving my spouse well shows my maturity in Christ.”
“God doesn’t hold me responsible for what others do to me. He holds me responsible for what I do with what they do to me.”
“What God intends to be confluence we turn into conflict.”
“God created marriage for my sanctification, not my satisfaction!”
“God created marriage for my holiness, not my happiness!”
“The Bible doesn’t teach us to fall in love but to walk in love.”
“We can only overcome that which we confront.”
“My relationship with my wife is more important than being right.”
“Husbands, submit yourselves to the needs of your wife and use all your resources to meet those needs – to the point of death.”
“I can’t be in fellowship with God if I’m not in fellowship with my wife. In order to effectively worship God, I must love my wife.”
“Marriage is NEVER about control – it is about influence! The most controlling people are usually controlled by fear.”
“Forgiveness is the canceling of debt, not the approval of sin.”
“When we have problems in our marriage, they are spiritual problems. You can’t solve spiritual problems with a carnal weapon.”
“We have two choices in life: we can base our self-worth on our experiences and what others have done to me OR we can base our self-worth on who Christ is and what He has done FOR me.”
“When I do marriage God’s way, I become more like Christ.”
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Needless to say, this was a very introspective, spiritually awakening time. What quotes or concepts stand out to you? I’d love to know…
You can view Dr. Hannaford’s bio here.
One Comment
Todd,
Great post brother. I am always excited to hear about marriage conferences that hit the nail on the head. The things that you have quoted seem very similar to what Gary Thomas had to say in his book “Sacred Marriage.” That is the best book that I have read on marriage.
I believe we need to put resources like these in the hands of those who are not married and already married so they can have a solid theological foundation of what marriage is before entering into that covenant.
Great stuff bro.