Keep Your Marriage Strong
Here are three ways that you can keep your marriage strong: don’t expect too much, work as a team, and keep the adventure alive.
Don’t expect too much. What I mean by this is to have reasonable expectations. Often couples have unrealistic or unspoken expectations of each other. This will cause problems in the marriage. Talk about what you expect from each other, and have grace when your spouse doesn’t live up to your expectations. Problems will definitely arise if you don’t do this. Luke 6:36, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Question to think about: How might you have unrealistic expectations of each other?
Work as a team. Every successful married couple knows they need to work together. If you treat your marriage like you do a competition it will lead to frustration and conflict. Work as a team by making decisions together, talking things out, sharing your day with each other, and planning things together. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Proverbs 27:17, “Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another.” Support each other and make each other stronger.
Keep the adventure alive. When a relationship starts there is excitement in the dating, the getting to know each other, the fun times you spend together. However, I have seen in many marriages how this gets lost somewhat quickly once people get married. As the years pass, there are more challenges to face, different responsibilities, and excuses to stop doing the things you used to do together. Keep having fun together. Try to keep your life as exciting as possible with your spouse. Have a romantic dinner. Plan a quick getaway. These are all important to keep your marriage fresh and exciting. Ecclesiastes 8:15, “So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.”