I’m not “qualified” to write about marriage because I have a perfect marriage. My husband and I haven’t had nor do we have a perfect marriage.
We are all imperfect people living in a fallen world and that shows in our marriages, but these are a few tips I’ve found to be beneficial over the years. Many of these tips I’ve lived out the wrong way and now the right way, and I can say it’s done wonders for my marriage.
I hope you find these tips useful and beneficial to your life as well. Check out 5 keys to a thriving marriage below. 🙂
1. No Secrets
Our entire life should be an open book for our spouse. Our cell phones, emails, bank accounts. There should be no area of our lives that our spouse can’t have access to. Secrets are a recipe for disaster in a marriage.
Jentezen Franklin says we are only as sick as our secrets. I’ve seen this to so be true in my life. Satan loves for us to do things in secret because he knows the impact it has on our spirit and soul. I’ve lived many seasons full of secrets, and I can tell you that living a secret free life is the way to go!
2. Eliminate People Who Are Against Your Marriage
This is huge and again something I allowed to go on in my life and marriage for too long. If people in your life are against your spouse or your marriage, eliminate them. They will bring you and your marriage down faster than anything else.
When little problems arise in your marriage, which is bound to happen, they will do their best to escalate them. Surround yourself with like-minded people who support your marriage.
3. Pray for One Another
There is power in prayer, and prayer can work wonders for your marriage. For one, praying for someone will allow you to begin to see them as God sees them, and what better way to love your spouse than through the eyes of Jesus.
Praying for your spouse can also prevent all sorts of arguments. I’ve learned over the years that the Holy Spirit does a far better job convicting my spouse than I do.
Next time you notice a flaw in your spouse, instead of running right to them with it, stop and pray for them and ask the Holy Spirit to convict them as He sees fit.
4. Real Talk
Being open and honest with each other is key! I’ve read of couples who set up a weekly time to just talk through how they are both feeling and how they feel things are going in their marriage.
Keeping communication open and honest is so important. We can’t read each other’s mind and often your spouse may not even be aware that what they are doing is bothering you.
Depending on the situation, I’ve found it best to talk after I’ve had some time away so that I don’t speak out of anger.
I also find it very beneficial to spend time praying and asking the Holy Spirit to guide me on how to approach the situation, and as I stated above, sometimes it’s best to just leave the convicting up to Him. 🙂
5. Relentless Grace
The final key I want to share with you today is to have relentless grace with one another. No marriage will last without grace upon grace upon grace. None of us are perfect, and we will all most likely hurt one another from time to time.
We can only move forward and grow in our relationship if we are willing to give each other relentless grace. This is truly only possible through the power of Jesus Christ. We can forgive because He first forgave us. (Ephesians 4:32)
If this is an area you struggle with, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to forgive more readily. You might also enjoy this post, How to Forgive When It Feels Impossible.
In Conclusion
I hope these 5 tips encouraged you. I have found each one of these to be vital to a successful marriage. What have you found to be key to a successful marriage in your life? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Keep Reading:
5 Ways to Silence the Voice of Satan
The Most Impactful Prayer You Can Ever Pray
These are all good words. One thing I learned years ago that has helped our marriage – don’t put expectations on your spouse. This can cause much disappointment. Rather be thankful if they do something for you or meet a need you didn’t “depend” on them for. Makes life a lot happier. 🙂
I couldn’t agree more! Expectations are fuel for disappointment. Thanks for reading and commenting. 🙂
Thank you for these awesome tips. We all fall short on these at times. I for one need to be reminded of these every now and then.
Absolutely! Thanks for reading and commenting. 🙂