11 Important Things In Marriage (Part3)

Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word.  It tells you who made marriage, and what it was made for.  Praying that you’ll listen to Part 1 and Part 2 -  Eleven Important Things In Marriage.  #1 Sex #2 Commitment #3 Love  #4 Communication  #5 Listen  #6 Deference

#7 – Vision – Without vision the people perish – cast off restraint.  There are some restraints in marriage.  God given boundaries that lead to a great marriage.  But understanding God’s vision for your marriage and your family is vital.  People with vision are the happiest, most hopeful, joyful, and most productive, content, and satisfied people.  They’re not where they want to be yet in life, but they’re making progress, they’re loving the journey, and they’re doing it with the person most important to them.  That means a lot.  Without vision in marriage, you lose direction, you lose hope, and you lose the will to even work on building a marriage stronger.  Only God can give you vision.  Talk about dreams and goals, but ask God what His vision is for you.  His vision for your marriage and your family, and your life together - is better than you can imagine, it will bring a satisfaction, contentment and excitement in your marriage that is worth working on, investing in, and loving to do together. 
 
#8  Laughter -  Laughter is a chemical reaction that draws people together.  Anytime you can laugh together your marriage grows.  Learn to not take yourself or even life too seriously.  Learn to laugh at yourself.  Don’t laugh at each other, never berate each other, not even alone, and never in public.  Never make a joke at your spouse’s expense, it’s not funny.  It exposes selfishness, not the selflessness that your spouse deserves from you.  Don’t laugh at each other, but laugh at yourself, and laugh together.  Sometimes what we do is funny, learn to laugh about things.  Even difficult things – God helps us laugh.  It might not have been funny at the time… but looking back, it’s kinda funny.  Do things that lead to laughter… communication, quality time.  The more time you spend together the more things you’ll find to laugh at, and laugh along with.  A life of laughter is a good life.  A marriage filled with laughter, is a good marriage.   
 
#9  Fun -  Do fun things together – things that one or the other or both of you love to do.  Schedule times, and things to do.  They don’t need to cost money.  Take a walk, read a book, watch a show, create something together, serve someone else.  Do something fun, not work related, with joy - just fun.  The more fun you have the better your marriage will be.
 
#10  Brag on them.  You should always have something good to say about your spouse in public.  If you build them up – you are actually building yourself up.  It’s a strange phenomenon.  You benefit every time you build up your spouse, because you are no longer two but one.  Every time you speak well of your spouse in public, not only do others grow in their respect for them, and rightly so, but they’ll grow in respect for you!  And you are reminded of how wonderful your spouse is, and what a perfect gift from God they really are.  They aren’t perfect, but neither are you, and why talk of things they are still growing in?  Talk about things they are great at, their qualities, their actions, their skills and abilities.  Don’t be like the person always wanting to show your vacation pictures… but the people you know, work with, or associate with should know that you are committed to your marriage by how well you speak of your spouse when they are not around, or even when they are.  Don’t be sappy or embarrassing, but give honor where honor is due, and your spouse is worthy of honor in the presence of others. 
 
#11 Look.  There’s a look that you give only to your spouse, where they just know how much you love them.  Look for the opportunity to look.  That communication with a glance, that is just between the two of you.  Others might catch you sometime, but they could never know the depth of what it is.  How much you love and honor, respect and cherish what God has given you in your spouse.  Have eyes for them only.  Let them know.  Look for the chance to look.       
 
Praying that you will review Eleven Important Things In Marriage.  That you’ll talk about them together with your spouse. Is there any other thing or things they feel are important for a good marriage?  It’s an investment that always brings a return.  Praying that your marriage will reflect the God who loves you, and others – as you love them with your life laid down.  So God can bring a blessing that will be a part of your legacy for generations to come. 
 
Love you all,
dad