How to Have a Mundane Marriage

by Phillip H. Waugh                                                                                    Vol. XIX, No. 1, January 2007

This is not a title that strikes our fancy is it? Its not one that peaks our desire to know more, but it does peak our curiosity. How would you describe your marriage? Would you use the term mundane to do so? Some of you may even be saying, “I don’t need to know that. I already have a mundane marriage.”

How would you define the term mundane? Many of us think we know the definition while others of us, though not knowing the exact definition, feel certain that it describes the present stage of our marriage. Mundane is an adjective that means “Of, relating to, or typical of this world; secular; concerned with commonplace, ordinary”.

Surprised? I was. Many of us would have defined the word mundane as being of or related to humdrum, boring, so-so. And by that definition, the word mundane describes the state many of our marriages today. But what leads to such a state of marriage? Is it not the very fact that our marriages are established on a secular mindset as opposed to a biblical mindset? We find ourselves caught up in the doldrums of everyday life. We are simply going through the motions without thought of a future; without a vision for tomorrow. We are caught up in a cycle of trying to get ahead in life and in our marriage while all along desiring to break free of the vicious cycle to experience the extraordinary.

With God’s help, we can move beyond the mundane, beyond the ordinary, beyond the routine, everyday life into the realm of the extraordinary. An Extraordinary Marriage is really what all of us dreams of and it is what God desires for us to experience.

In the business world it requires hard work, creativity, commitment, sacrifice, endurance, a “don’t take no for an answer” attitude, a “no holds barred” tenacity to achieve such status. We applaud such a strong-willed spirit that takes a person beyond the ordinary. We even envy such a person. If not envy, we do catch ourselves desiring what they have obtained without much thought as to what they may have sacrificed to obtain it.

 Why should we expect any less in our marriage? In order for us to move beyond the mundane some of these same factors must be in place. It takes hard work, creativity, commitment, sacrifice, endurance, a “no holds barred” tenacity and a “don’t take divorce for an answer” attitude. God has an extraordinary plan for our marriage, an adventure – better than anything we can imagine – for us to live out as we follow His lead.

We want to encourage you to help couples understand the importance of taking their marriage from the mundane to the extraordinary. With God at the heart of their marriage they will exceed the norm, shatter the average relationship, and establish a marriage that will radiate the love of Christ to those around them.

On Sunday, February 11, 2007 churches across the nation and around the world will be addressing these concerns as they celebrate Covenant Marriage Sunday. Our goal this year is to have 5,000 congregations corporately celebrating marriage as a covenant relationship. We invite you to join us on February 11^th for this grand event.

For more information on how your congregation can become a part of this exciting movement of God, contact the Covenant Marriage Movement, 1-800-311-1662 or www.covenantmarriage.com.

[Phillip H. Waugh and his wife, Cindy, serve as the Executive Directors of the Covenant Marriage Movement, Inc. They reside in Forest, VA with their son, Justin. They have two married children, Brandon and Meredith who reside in Franklin, TN with their spouses, Hannah and Joel respectively. ]