BG.T01-PRR — Pre-Reading Reflection: My Spiritual Readiness for Marriage

Purpose

This reflection tool helps you examine your current beliefs, attitudes and practices before beginning Spiritual Guidelines for Choosing and Becoming Marriage Material. It provides an opportunity to reflect on the key themes explored throughout this guide: spiritual alignment, purpose, direction and vision, commitment, purity and self-control, and boundaries.

There are no right or wrong answers. The purpose is to establish a starting point for your journey of growth, self-discovery and preparation.

Part A: My Current Understanding of Spiritual Readiness

1. In your view, what makes a person spiritually ready for marriage?

2. What spiritual qualities do you believe are most important in a prospective marriage partner?

3. What spiritual qualities do you believe are most important to develop in yourself?

4. What concerns you most about choosing a marriage partner?

Part B: Spiritual Alignment

5. How important do you believe spiritual alignment is in a marriage relationship?

6. What signs would convince you that a person is spiritually aligned with God?

7. What signs would cause you to question a person's spiritual alignment?

Part C: Purpose, Direction and Vision

8. How important is it for a couple to share a common purpose, direction or vision?

9. What problems can arise when two people have different priorities, goals or visions for the future?

10. What signs would convince you that a person has a clear purpose, direction and vision?

Part D: Commitment

11. What does commitment mean to you?

12. What actions demonstrate genuine commitment in a relationship?

13. How would you distinguish between words of commitment and evidence of commitment?

Part E: Purity and Self-Control

14. Why are purity and self-control important in a relationship?

15. What does self-control reveal about a person's readiness for marriage?

16. What behaviours would demonstrate a lack of purity or self-control?

Part F: Boundaries

17. Why are healthy boundaries important in a relationship?

18. What signs would convince you that a person respects boundaries?

19. What behaviours would cause you to question a person's respect for boundaries?

Part G: Assessing My Current Position

20. Which of the following areas do you currently regard as your greatest strength?

☐ Spiritual Alignment

☐ Purpose, Direction and Vision

☐ Commitment

☐ Purity and Self-Control

☐ Boundaries

Why?

21. Which of the following areas requires the greatest attention in your life?

☐ Spiritual Alignment

☐ Purpose, Direction and Vision

☐ Commitment

☐ Purity and Self-Control

☐ Boundaries

Why?

22. Which of these five areas would you most like to strengthen through this guide?

Before I Begin

23. Complete the statement below.

The strongest aspect of my spiritual readiness for marriage is ________________________________________________.

24. Complete the statement below.

The aspect of my spiritual readiness for marriage that requires the greatest attention is ________________________________________________.

25. Complete the statement below.

The most important lesson I hope to gain from this guide is ________________________________________________.

26. Complete the statement below.

The spiritual quality I would most like to strengthen is ________________________________________________.

27. Complete the statement below.

The greatest obstacle to becoming marriage material is ________________________________________________.

28. Complete the statement below.

The clearest sign that a person is marriage material is ________________________________________________.

29. Complete the statement below.

The most important contribution this guide can make to my life is ________________________________________________.

30. Complete the statement below.

As I begin this guide, I commit myself to ________________________________________________.