3 Ways to Strengthen Your Marriage

Today I got to officiate a wedding.

It was beautiful as the setting was perfect to have a Fall wedding. Two people, a bride, and a groom came together in front of family and friends to commit themselves to each other as a married couple. There’s no doubt that God was there with us as they pledged their love for each other and furthermore, committed to building their lives on Christ.

These moments are special because there’s something about being a part of two people becoming one.

It’s spiritual, special, and supernatural. It’s what God intended as we see with the first couple, Adam and Eve.

“24. This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. 25. Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.”

Genesis‬ ‭2‬:‭24‬-‭25

So, how do we stay in love for decades and build a lasting marriage?

Isn’t this the question?

After all, every couple starts with an intense love for each other and great hope of will be; however, so many don’t experience that outcome.

There’s no doubt marriage takes work to be successful and in the end, it’s worth it.

The greatest gift my grandparents gave to me was their marriage. They endured good times and bad to grow in love, leave a legacy and imprint us with love. They were married for over 65 years and in the end, their relationship speaks louder every year I’m married.

So here’s the good news, we can have this type of marriage too!

God designed and God wants it for us. So the question is, how do we have it?

Here are three things to strengthen your marriage.

1st – Go to Church Together

There’s something building your marriage on Jesus that keeps it focused on the main thing. So much comes at us to sway us from
Christ, but a married couple makes it a priority in their relationship, it only strengthens them for the long haul.

Furthermore, when we’re involved in church, we gain relationships, accountability, and support in life. We’re surrounded by couples just like us and when we’re together, we’re stronger.

“13. For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. 14. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green.”‬

Psalms‬ ‭92‬:‭13‬-‭14

2nd – Have a date weekly

Something great happens when we date our spouse. I know, I know you’re thinking you’re busy and it’s too much to do. But the truth is, when we make time to date our spouse, we are making time for the health of our marriage. Having time together every week with intentionality can fuel our love for one another and causes us to stay connected at a deep level.

This is SO important because too many couples don’t date each other or rarely do, and that can lead to a disconnect. God wants us to be connected and communicate with our spouses. He wants us to thrive for decades and one way we do this is by dating each other.

Do you have a set date weekly?

I encourage you to move forward with this. If it feels scheduled, it’s ok, great things happen when we do this. It doesn’t have to be big in details. Sometimes the greatest dates are the simplest.

3rd – Have a Plan for your Money

Having a plan for your money is a game changer and in some cases, a marriage saver. Out of the four big reasons for divorce, money is number one. Mostly this is because there wasn’t a plan for the money. Without a plan, miscommunication is guaranteed to happen. With a plan, communication has a path of focus and causes long-term growth and success.

The truth is money is spiritual and Jesus is reaching for our hearts when he puts his finger on our money. Our marriages, our families, and our lineage are more important than money which is why we must have a plan for it. When we have a plan for our money, we tell our money where to go. We tell it what to do and we determine how we live. When we don’t have a plan, money tells us what to do, and determines how we live. This is a recipe for disaster.

But we can change that narrative when we have a plan for our money as a couple.

Notice this is a plan as a married couple. It’s not one versus the other, or one knows everything and the other person knows nothing. That’s imbalanced and unhealthy.

This is a money plan as a team.

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.”

Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭10‬

I believe our marriages can be decades long and has a legacy that last generations. This is what you can have so I encourage you, put these three things into practice and see what God can do through your marriage.

The best is yet to come,

PD