Lesson 86

What Are Ways I Can Build Up My Marriage?

Building up your marriage could involve hundred of tips and suggestions. However, God has basic principles for the foundation of our marriages. Becoming “one” sounds romantic when a couple is planning their wedding, but how many couples “plan” their marriage?

Kristi made a list of reminders that helped her keep focused on the importance of her marriage: 1) love Jesus more than you love anything else; 2) follow God’s plan for marriage; 3) be a team; 4) love the one you married; and 5) your spouse comes before your kids (or anyone else!). “They sound simplistic, but they are not always easy to do,” she said. “Couples encounter conflict along life’s paths due to selfishness, differentness, and sin. Unless we commit to the covenant of marriage, I see that it is easier for couples in trouble to go their separate ways instead of building up their marriage.”

Kristi remembered that the most helpful advice she received was the concept of being a team in fighting the battle with sin. “When we saw each other as the enemy, we said and did hurtful things to one another. As we both became more committed to our relationship to Christ, we began to see the battle with sin as a team effort and it put us on the same side. Visually, this took the form of picturing myself standing shoulder to shoulder with my husband instead of face-to-face in battle. Bringing Christ into our struggles added such strength and power that we could not have had on our own to resolve the issues.”