We are thrilled to say The 7 Rings of Marriage Bible Study is now available! We know those of you who are married or getting married would love to have a Bible study to do as a couple and we think this is a great one. Whether you are engaged or have been married 50 years or are somewhere in between, 7 Rings contains wisdom and help for you and your marriage.
From the engagement ring to the years after the wedding band, each season of marriage requires renewed commitment, fresh perspective, and practical Biblical wisdom. Each of the 7 “rings” outlined in this 8-session study will guide couples to begin with the end in mind, ultimately leading to lasting and fulfilling relationships in every stage of marriage. Join author Jackie Bledsoe as he walks through the 7 rings: the engagement RING (the beginning), the wedding RING (the commitment), discoveRING (the real you), perseveRING (the work), restoRING (the fixing), prospeRING (the goal), and mentoRING (the payback).
Click here to order the study and to check out a sample. We’ve also provided an excerpt for you below.
“we hope they have the loving assistance of their family, the constant support of friends…”
Much like it takes a village to raise a child, it takes the friendship, support, and accountability of others to have a successful marriage. Those who have worn the first six rings wouldn’t have been able to do so without other couples or trusted family and friends to help them along the way.
Your marriage is bigger than you, so no matter which ring you’re wearing, you have an opportunity—an obligation—to help someone else.
The MentoRING is where you connect with others and show them what a lasting and fulfilling marriage looks like and how to make it happen.
Living a life that is a blessing to others is a full life. Living a marriage that is a blessing to other marriages is a full marriage. This is part of our call as married couples. We are to receive, relate, and reciprocate with other couples. Perhaps another couple has helped you, or walked side-by-side with you, through a difficult season. Now it’s your turn to do the same.
Let’s take a look at some of the passages that illustrate this and discuss how they apply to each of our marriages.
Read 2 Timothy 2:2:
What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
We don’t have to be marriage counselors or have the perfect marriage to be an example and a blessing to other couples.
Read Ecclesiastes 4:7-12:
Again, I saw futility under the sun: 8 There is a person without a companion, without even a son or brother, and though there is no end to all his struggles, his eyes are still not content with riches. “So who am I struggling for,” he asks, “and depriving myself from good?” This too is futile and a miserable task.
9 Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. 10 For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm? 12 And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.
In the “Facebook age” we are bombarded with what seems to be perfect images of our peers. Ecclesiastes 4:7-8 touches on the trap of “keeping up with the Joneses.” Instead of competing or trying to impress, we should come alongside other couples. Verses 9-12 illustrate the benefits of this.
Whether or not you think you have it “figured out,” you have a responsibility to other couples. For us to experience ups, downs, challenges, accomplishments, sadness, discovering, commitment, betrayal, love, and God’s grace in our marriages and not help others prepare for and experience the same is almost a crime.
Wrap Up: Your marriage is blessed to be a blessing. Seeking to build peer-to-peer, mentee, and mentor relationships adds fulfillment to your marriage. Your marriage plays a significant role in God’s kingdom and perfect plan.
Who has helped you or been a mentor in your marriage? Share with us in the comments lessons you have learned from other couples—older couples, counselors, friends, etc.
