Marriage can be bliss or it can be a curse. God
instituted marriage therefore; it is supposed to be a blessing. God is always
for a good marriage but it’s up to two people to decide what the quality of the
relationship will be.
We all know people who are enduring marriage. Life is
short and a marriage is to safeguard a life of peace, pleasure, and prosperity
in the safety of a mate. Unfortunately, many marriages today are suffering
because one or both partners have given up on their marriage. They’re enduring
instead of enjoying each other. Today I want to give you five keys that will breathe fresh life into your marriage.
1. Have a vision for your marriage. Without a goal, anyone can be lost in transit. Unless we have clear goals,
we’ll be confused at best. A goal can be spiritual, financial, physical, or
emotional. Unless both spouses know what they want from each other, it is hard
to please the other person. Talk about your expectations, write them down, and
then revisit them periodically to make sure you’re making progress. Life comes
in seasons. Stay current with your needs and the season you’re in.
2. Speak life. Our lives are as good as the
words we speak. This may sound absurd but there’s tremendous power in our
words. Think about it! God spoke the world into existence. When we speak
positive, uplifting words over ourselves and each other, we’ll eat the fruit of
it. Words are like an echo; whatever we send out will come back to us. It is
easy to make sarcastic, hurtful, and cutting remarks but like a burn, those words sting our souls for months to come.
On the contrary, when we make a positive deposit of building our mate up with
words, it’s like putting money in a savings account. You can draw all you want,
limited only by what you put in. If we’re drawing more than we deposit, one day
we may have to face a bankruptcy. When you’re upset and you feel like speaking
out the most is the time for you to say the least. Make a habit of saying
something good about your spouse every single day. A person can live on a kind,
appreciative word for a month! Speak life.
3. Focus on what’s working. Forgive and
forget what your partner did in 1957! Bury the past and forgive quickly. Fight
for peace and not for winning arguments. Most people make the mistake of
focusing on what’s not working. Remember, nobody is perfect — not even you! If
we’re using all our energy looking for faults then we’ll not have any energy
left to find the gold in the other. Remind yourself why you fell in love. Find
ways to unite. Invest in each other. A marriage left alone is like a beautiful
garden only to someday be taken over by weeds. If you stay focused on planting
good seeds, your garden will continue to produce beautiful flowers.
4. Communicate. People are not mind-readers.
Find a way to express your feelings without the drama. You have to be precise
but you also have to be diplomatic. Don’t tell it the way it is. When, and how,
you share your feelings is as important as what you share. Ninety percent of
our communication is non-verbal. Hold hands, look each other in the eye. When
we say a hard thing in a kind way, it’s a lot more palatable. When you make a
mistake don’t make excuses. Be the bigger person and say, “I made a mistake. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” Become a
lifelong learner of communication.
5. Enjoy each other. Nobody likes to
be around a stick in the mud. Yes, we need to save for the future but don’t be
stingy. Details are important and the house doesn’t get cleaned by itself but
why don’t you do it without complaining about it. We live in a stressful world.
Take a leisurely walk in the park, go to a movie, and take a vacation without
the kids. Have plenty of sex. You have the license; use it before it expires!
Even the doctors are now saying that it’s good for your body, emotions, spirit,
and soul! Never let the magic die in your marriage. Remember, fun doesn’t have
to cost a lot of money. It’s time, effort, and creative thinking that keeps
your marriage fresh. Have fun with each other.
Finally, honor God with your marriage. Say and do only
things you would say and do if God was present
with you. In case you’re wondering, He’s always with you and He is always for
your marriage. I’m praying for you.
“Two people are better off than
one, for they can help each other succeed” (Ecclesiastes 4:9 NLT).
No comments:
Post a Comment