Behind Every Great Marriage Are Others Who Help

You’ve heard it said, “Behind every great man is a great woman.” I’m a testament to that truth. I know that whatever success I’ve achieved in my work, ministry, fatherhood, and anything else, is in large part due to the help and support I’ve received from my wife Cindy. But Cindy and I also believe that behind every great marriage are others who help.

We’ve been blessed over the years that we’ve had a number of people who have invested into our marriage. They have been there for us at critical junctures or when we’ve facing important decisions. That is one of the main reasons we feel God inspired us to start Marriage Missions International. We want to give back to others from what we so richly received.

Importance of Others Who Help

Why is it so important for you to have godly mentors, friends or other experts involved in your marriage? It’s because we can’t know the best course of action to take in EVERY situation we encounter.

God’s word also speaks very clearly about our need to seek guidance from others. We’re told, “Where there is no guidance the people fall. But in abundance of counselors there is victory.” (Proverbs 11:14) “Without consultation, plans are frustrated. But with many counselors they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22)

Here’s an example of how this has worked in our marriage:

About 20 years ago I met Steve Marr. At that time Steve was the CEO of the fourth largest import firm in the United States. As I got to know Steve I realized that God had gifted him with the ability to look at business and finances with a “Kingdom” perspective. It’s something I had not seen or heard before. It soon became obvious that he was someone I/we could trust if I/we needed counsel in the area of business or finances in our lives.

Not long after, Steve married one of Cindy and my best friends, Mary. And over the ensuing years they became our “go-to” couple to receive counsel in a number of areas of our marriage.

The Marr’s have spent countless hours helping Cindy and me sort through difficult issues. They were also key in helping in the formation of Marriage Missions International.

From writing a Mission/Vision statement to making sure we did everything with the highest of financial integrity, Steve and Mary were there to give us godly wisdom and counsel.

Investment of Time and Love

So, when visit this web site a lot of what you see today is an outgrowth of the investment of time and love into our lives through our mentor/coaches, Steve and Mary Marr.

Additionally, with the adverse changes in the economy of the United States over the past few years we were seeing dramatic losses in our investments. Again, because we trusted Steve’s insight into such matters we went to him with the confidence he could help us make godly decisions about what we should do.

Without question Steve has helped Cindy and me avoid investments that could have hurt us financially. And through his counsel he has helped Marriage Missions International maintain financial integrity in how we use the money God provides for this ministry.

Roadmap to Success

Four years after Steve and Mary’s mentoring relationship helped us start Marriage Missions, Steve wrote and published the book, Roadmap to Success: Building Your Business God’s Way (Published by Bridge-Logos). The principles he put in the book are ones he and Mary used to help us start this ministry.

Here’s something Steve wrote in the book that applies to all of us who need to seek out mentors, counselors or coaches to help us:

“Not all counselors are created equal. Be mindful of that as you look for advice. The first criteria for any counselor you choose is obvious: godliness. David wrote, ‘The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip.’” (Psalm 37:30-31, NASB)

“Seek advice from select individuals who have a strong walk with the Lord that is clearly demonstrated in their lives.”

Cindy and I have learned an important principle from our long relationship with people like Steve and Mary Marr. When we commit our marriages and our lives to Christ, He makes sure we have the “right” people available to help us.

The important question is: Will we be willing to listen? Are we willing to learn and apply the truth others contribute into our lives?

One of the best things you can do for your marriage is to prayerfully search for the mentors/coaches God can bring into your lives.

With this decision, you can take your marriage to new heights of love and commitment. This will help you to reveal and reflect the heart of Christ within your marriage, to the glory of God.

Steve Wright of Marriage Missions International wrote this blog.

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