A Successful Marriage

It’s easy to say you’re committed to your spouse but what about when push comes to shove? What if your husband decides to take a job requiring a major move, what if he becomes injured and needs 24/7 care, or what if your life doesn’t turn out the way you thought it would? It’s hard to think about those situations until you are actually in them, and commitment can be much more complicated than you anticipated. The thing is, on your wedding day, you didn’t just make a commitment to your spouse, you also made one to God.

If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. Numbers 30:2. God takes our commitment very seriously even though he knows it isn’t always easy. What does commitment in marriage mean? Genuine devotion. It’s genuine devotion to both God and the covenant of marriage. It’s a question that needs to be affirmed, are my actions proving my genuine devotion to God and my spouse?

A marriage is made like a cord of 3 strands that can not be easily broken. Those 3 stands include you, your spouse, and God. One way to keep God at the center of your marriage is to find a church that teaches biblical instructions for marriage, and a church family that is biblically grounded! When you are constantly being fed by the true word of God, you will get the information and hopefully heart transformation you will need to not only survive marriage but make it thrive. It is also important to have friends who are like-minded in developing a godly marriage. Those who are willing to be real, do life together, pray with you when it’s a tough season, celebrate with you, and encourage each other in life. Christian support and accountability are absolutely necessary. We were created to be in community with others. If you don’t already have a biblical church that you are a member of, make that a priority to seek out. “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” Matthew 18:20.

Gentleness, a fruit of the Spirit, carries great value and strength in a biblically grounded marriage. To be gentle means to have a quality of being kind, tender, or mild-mannered. I’ve also heard gentleness described as strength under control. Gentleness draws each other in. Gentleness is a very attractive quality no matter who is displaying it. It is an essential biblical marriage principle displayed through both actions and words. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:2-3. God ultimately wants us to look and act just like Him. The best way of doing that is to display the fruits of the spirit. Hopefully the more fruits of the spirit we demonstrate to others, the less strife we will have in our lives. I know this isn’t always the case but by being gentle to others, you will cause them to be gentle in return.