To the naïve couple, a couples retreat might seem like just a really long date- involving other people. Couples retreats do encourage bonding and relationship building between lovers, but surprisingly, the number one goal is not that they would grow closer to each other; it is that they would grow closer to God.
It goes without saying that this change in mindset is one of many ways in which a couples retreat can be a truly transformative experience. Once you decide to go, it’s almost a given that you won’t be the same upon your return. How, then, is such an event able to transform you radically?
It shifts your priorities.
When you’re in a relationship, it’s easy to get caught up in the awe and pure bliss of the one you love. It’s easy to become obsessive, to make your entire life revolve around that person. But couples retreats completely flip that way of living upside-down. They set out to show you that your purpose in life should not be to glorify your significant other, but to glorify God through your relationship. When you shift your priorities to make Christ the center of attention, your relationship will be that much more fulfilling.
It rekindles your love.
Maybe you’re the type of couple who has outgrown the rush of new romance and is now backsliding into boredom. The sad reality is that the longer you allow yourselves to drift apart, the more likely you are to break away altogether. Clearly, you still love each other; if you didn’t, you would not have even made it this far.
Couples retreats are a great way to share a whole new experience with your significant other, one that may just make you remember why you fell in love in the first place. Love is a precious treasure; don’t let it waste away simply because you didn’t want to put in the time or effort.
It trains you in purity.
Purity seems to be the long-forgotten word in our lawless society. Everywhere you go it seems that people no longer have boundaries regarding respect, honor, and sexuality. This new earthly command to ‘do whatever fulfills us’ is drilled into our heads so often that we don’t even notice it- until the time comes when we have to make important decisions about our relationships.
Though the world may treat purity as a thing to be thrown away, God has created relationships to be pure. No matter how our society tries to redefine love, God has clearly modeled how we should love in His love for us. Couples retreats can give you that much-needed reminder- that to be pure is to be like Christ. When you allow that simple truth to transform you, a transformation of your relationship is sure to follow.
