Marriage is God's Finishing School (week 10)

If you remember the movie Princess Diaries with Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews we see how a young girl discovers she is nobility and must learn the proper way to act in order to take over leadership in her country.  Julia Andrews, as the grandmother and queen, takes on the role of training her to become the princess she is and can become.  This is similar to a finishing school.  I remember reading the covers of the tabloids when a commoner is planning to marry nobility and they have to learn the proper etiquette and behavior.  Many, many years ago there were true finishing schools that the rich sent their daughters so they could become young ladies.  I would imagine there must have been something where the young men were taught to be gentlemen, but I don't recall that.  (How prejudicial if the requirement was only for young women to attend finishing school!)
In the book, Drawing Heaven Into Your Marriage by H. Wallace Goddard, he says, "Marriage is God's finishing school for the Godly soul.  Marriage is ordained to stretch and refine us." (page 134).  Goddard's book has taught many principles that are like a finishing school where we can become the best marriage partner possible.  Note I didn't say to make our spouse the best marriage partner ever, but ourselves.  It is ourselves that must do the changing and growing and more often than not our spouses will follow.  
Throughout Goddard's book he has given great advice and suggestions as to how we can become the best partner possible.  In a nutshell some of the advice he has given is:
  • Marriage is ordained of God
  • Expect challenges as they will bring about growth
  • We need a broken heart and a contrite spirit
  • Be wiling to sacrifice
  • Have faith in Jesus Christ that He will help you in all things
  • Rid ourselves of pride - be humble
  • Worry about fixing ourselves
  • Love others
  • Focusing our love on our partners
  • Be willing to sacrifice all for our spouse and our marriage
  • Pray
  • Have charity
  • Celebrate the good in our partners
These are all great lessons that have been taught in Goddard's book.  On page 135 of the same book, Goddard says, "It seems that God's objective for marriage is not merely to provide us companionship through the treacherous journey of mortality-though it often does that wonderfully well. Marriage is not merely for populating the world-though it can accomplish that.  God has loftier purposes. He wants to make us like Him..."Unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ!" (Ephesians 4: 13)"
By learning the skills needed to become a good marriage partner we are becoming more like our Father in Heaven.  This is why marriage is a finishing school.

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