8 Ingredients to Help You Grow in Your Marriage
What does it take to make your marriage grow? There are some key ingredients that will help you build a strong, lasting marriage!
In a few weeks, John and I will celebrate 47 years of marriage. It seems to have gone by way too fast, but with five married kids and 21 grandchildren, we haven’t had much time to notice the pace. We are simply thankful.
Today we are most grateful for our sweet companionship. No, our marriage isn’t perfect. We still fight and we still have to forgive—frequently. But the years of pressing together through challenges and blessings have produced a stronger blend of oneness.
Recently I jotted down eight ingredients that have helped me as a wife to grow in my marriage.
8 Ingredients for a Lasting Marriage
1. Recognize that no man can love you as much as you want to be loved. Only God can. Run to Him first. Spend time in His word and in prayer. It will relieve the pressure on your marriage.
2. Have a few close girlfriends with whom you can share your heart. These should be women who are for your marriage, always pushing you to Christ and toward your husband.
3. Refuse the temptation to “emotionally withdraw.” And you will be tempted—many times. Recognize it, resist it, and instead, do whatever it takes to grow closer to one another.
4. Pray daily for your husband—for God to bless him, for him to know how much God loves him, for his professional needs, and for God to give him some Christian guy friends.
5. Make time with him a priority. Put him before the kids. Establish a regular date night and keep it.
6. Hit the “delete button” on your mental list of the things he does wrong. Instead, ask God to remind you of one trait you appreciate in him every day and tell your husband about it. This is your daily marriage vitamin.
7. Do fun, silly, new things together and nurture laughter.
8. Be quick to ask forgiveness and to forgive, even if you don’t feel like it or want to. Healing takes time but the healing process begins with forgiveness.
Marriage is a gift. Your husband is a gift. And with God at the center of your union, you can grow closer as the years increase.
Blessings,
Grab Susan’s free ebook, “Camp at Home,” right here. This valuable resource is based on her book Cousin Camp. It includes 100 things for you to do with your kids of different ages including toddlers, the middle years, teens, and specific things for the whole family. In addition, there are ideas for grandparents to use to stay connected with their grandkids.
A 52-Week Devotional for the Deeper, Richer Marriage You Desire
An intimate, loving marriage is so much closer than you think
Imagine if, at the end of the year, despite your busy schedules and all the demands on your time and attention, you and your husband were more in sync, more connected, and more in love than ever before. Sounds amazing, right?
That kind of marriage is what is waiting for you as you read through the fifty-two weekly devotions in Loving Your Husband Well. Each entry includes a specific theme, related Scripture, a powerful devotion, thoughts for further reflection, practical ideas, and a prayer, all designed to help you love, cherish, and serve the man who shares life’s journey with you.
