Marriage

As an in-law, do not hold the married members of your family hostage. Set them free to make their own decisions.

Remind us that the rest of our lives are not determined by this day and this wedding ceremony. Today's success is not the point. The point is what comes after this ceremony - the days, weeks, months, and years to come.

Marriage is created for a bigger purpose than just itself. Marriage is a depiction of our relationship with God. We are called in this life to love, study, know and respect our God. That is also our calling for our spouse.

God promises strength to persevere, but we have to submit to His plan and learn acceptance with joy. Here are three “Scripture nuggets” for long-marrieds to revive the romance and survive the challenges.

Nothing hurts like a failing marriage, and there is no loneliness as intense as living with a stranger who used to be your friend.

Proverbs 3: 24 tells us that “When we lie down our sleep will be sweet.” But what happens when it isn’t? 

When spouses share similar values, it creates cohesion and unity within the marriage, fostering a sense of common purpose and direction.

Is it possible to keep the marriage spark burning without leaving the house? Whether your kids are too young to stay with a sitter, money is too tight to afford the cost, or your child has special needs, you don’t need to write off date nights. Instead, create dates at home to nurture your marriage relationship.

These ways may seem insignificant, but they may be very significant to your wife. The last thing she wants to do on top of raising children is to have to care for the upkeep of her home and do all the chores on top of caring for her husband. Demonstrate these loving ways without expecting anything in return.

Every day we hear stories of marriages falling apart. These couples had the greatest intentions starting out, but life left their marriages broken.

When the family operates correctly and the husband, who is the head of the home, operates with integrity, sacrifice, and love for his wife, a marriage can demonstrate both a headship and a partnership as both people work together for the good of each other. They also give God glory by placing him at the head of their marriage.

In the physical, oneness is evidenced by reproductive fruitfulness. In the Spirit, oneness with Christ is evidenced by bearing the fruit of the Spirit. Within the body of Christ and within a marriage, the integrity and wholeness depend on the same thing: abiding in Christ and always allowing Him to be the head.

If in your efforts to conceive a baby you’re struggling with doubt and despair, here are seven powerful prayers inspired by biblical women who faced the same struggles.  

As believers, we must stand firm in our faith and love our spouse with all we've got while fighting to protect it. Because if we don't, the world's ways will sneak in and do everything it can to destroy it. We mustn't let it! So, here's how you and your sweet spouse can stand firm in your faith and protect your sacred union.

While your children may come home with sweet cards, you still play a vital part. It’s a moment to extend your sincere thanks and praise for her valuable contributions to your family. There are gestures that tell her you not only “see her,” but you truly want her to feel loved, cherished, and appreciated.

If every faithful wife could write her sweet hubby a love letter of what she really needs, I believe it would consist of her beloved husband praying for and over her. That’s because she knows prayers are important and truly powerful.

The drifting that occurs when we are not in perpetual union with Christ (Hebrews 2) has ripple effects like wandering from our role as wife, helper, encourager, and teammate. Drifting is sneaky and brutally subtle. In the same way we search our hearts for idols so we do not transgress the first and second commandments, we must also survey our attitudes towards our callings in the home, starting with our covenant relationship.

In our flesh, our focus is usually on ourselves, on our own desires, comforts, and fears. It's not surprising, then, that we look forward to Heaven because we want to see loved ones who have gone before us. Or that we look to eternity with uncertainty because of our lack of understanding and fear of the unknown.

This day is a rare invitation to rest and recharge. Make sure you ask us how that can best be accomplished. Give us the guilt-free space we very infrequently receive to invest in doing something we enjoy just for ourselves. Maybe it's going to a movie, taking a hike, free time at the gym, a pedicure, time to read a book, a meet up with someone special, or whatever else helps to fill our cup so that we can show up everyday as moms with grace and love.

Even in the best marriages, arguments will happen. That’s life. Still, it’s not about whether you argue or not; it’s about how you handle that argument. Do you choose to love your spouse during it, or do you blow up at them?