One of the most important decisions one can ever make is the choice of marrying the right person. We teach this in all of our premarital counseling and classes. Many people think it’s about looks (although attraction is very important) or the “feeling” of being in love (not many people know what to do when the “feeling” comes and goes). No matter what decision you base your choice on, remember two key ingredients on your journey – teamwork and purpose. *Disclaimer – My wife and I wish we would have known this before we got married.

For all the many successes and adventures that we’ve been on together in our marriage and ministry, teamwork and purpose have been in the forefront of everything we do. From raising two wonderful kids, to putting each other through graduate school, to planting a church in New York City, to starting a private counseling practice in Times Square, to moving to Southern California to serve the Los Angeles Chargers as chaplains. Through it all, we’ve done it as team Gregory. Sure we’ve had our ups and downs but our teamwork and unity has always displayed our love and faithfulness to each other.

We always knew as a marriage team that God had called and purposed our marriage not solely for ourselves but for others also. We know we are called to love each other but we are also called to love other couples by helping to equip them to have successful marriages and relationships. There is an old saying that says, “What would you do with your life if you didn’t have to worry about money.” We are doing just what we dreamed of doing, not because money is limitless, but because we know our marriage purpose is helping others have great marriages.

This picture was taken on the night that we made our decision to say yes to God’s next step in his purpose for our marriage. It was the night we laid down something we had birthed, treasured and sacrificed for many years (our church on the upper east side of New York City). It was the hardest decision that we’ve had to make as a team, however if you look at the look in our eyes, its not about what we gave up for the sake of fulfilling God’s purpose. It’s really the deep love that we have for one another as we adventure through life together helping and uplifting couples and individuals in this journey called life.

What is your marriage purpose? Why has God called you and your spouse to walk together?

This article was written by Pastor George Gregory