“So much can be made bearable by love. By cherishing what is and not condemning fault or flaw. By keeping hearts open and holding each other forever in the light.”
Marriage is full of hard times when you are tempted to throw blame on each other instead of coming together to work through difficulties. That quote above from one of my favorite shows, Call The Midwife, reminds me of the truth in 1 Cor 13:7-8, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”
I have the power to make a huge difference in my marriage. Some days present more opportunities than others. These five choices make a huge difference in our marriages. They aren’t choices we make once and move on. Some days we might even have to make the same choice over and over again.
5 Choices That Will Make A Difference In Your Marriage
- I choose to forgive, whether or not he asks for my forgiveness.
- I choose to see myself standing next to my husband at the cross. It’s tempting to place myself a little ahead of him, not needing as much grace or forgiveness, but we are equal at the cross.
- I choose to be thankful for what we have today. Not every woman has the privilege of sharing life with someone!
- I choose to believe the best in my husband – to “hold each other forever in the light.”
- I choose to be the servant in our relationship.
I’ll be honest – I’ve had a hard time with all five of these in the last few months! Will you join me in making the right choices that honor God? It’s a great return on your effort! Why? Because Marriage Matters.
Come Home For Comfort 
Thank you for sharing! I definitely struggle with all these things. In my eyes I so often see myself as “better” because I’m the doer…but he is the one who provides amazing unconditional love to me and I always fail to remember that in my rant over the laundry. 🙂
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I’m right there with you, Shelly! It’s so easy to see myself as the better one. That’s why I have to purposefully place myself at the cross where we are ALL equal. ❤
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Good tips! I have been working to improve in certain areas of my marriage and you’re right that it’s something to be worked on daily. It’s not just a one time thing. I’ve tried to show more grace, say encouraging things and to remember that we’re on the same team. It’s easy to focus on my needs and all the things I need, but I find that my attitude is better in general when I put more focus on my husband and family.
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It’s amazing how different my mood becomes when I focus on serving instead of sulking!
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Marriage is one of the most difficult things we ever participate in thru life and one of the most rewarding. Letting go of what bothers us about one another is the hardest some days and only magnified when we dwell on it. Your number 2 is totally the heart of our lives in marriage, friendships and relations with everyone. I always pray for my husband’s heart as well as my own. I find myself very humble when I pray for my spouse.
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Yes! Difficult and yet so rewarding. Love that!
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I often tell my husband how thankful I am for him. Not in the big things he does for us but for the small things too.
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Love that!
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Thank you for sharing these Whitney. As a newlywed couple and myself, newly saved by His grace, these are very helpful! Before we were married we met with our pastor and discussed putting God first and that helps so much! That and all of these tips that you’ve shared!
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The grace that saved you – it also sustains you through every difficulty and conflict in marriage!
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These are all spot on!! We ALL have to work at these every single day if we want our marriage to go the long haul!
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I should have credited you on #2….that one is a game changer!
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Beautiful, helpful post, Whitney. Thank you. #5 is a very important point which I try to keep in mind daily. But they are ALL important.
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We are never more like Jesus than when we are serving!
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This is really wonderful. I especially appreciate #2. Thank you for sharing. ❤
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I should have credited my mom on that one. She shared it with me recently and it was a game changer.
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I learn the most about me in times of conflict; not my husband. God always seems to show me the area I’m lacking in during those times. It’s not comfortable, but it certainly can allow me to grow closer to the Lord if I just take time to listen to the prompting He’s giving. It also reminds me about the second point you make. Thanks for sharing!
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You’re right – it’s so easy to look at what my husband is doing during the conflict instead of looking at what God wants to do in me!
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Such great thoughts Whitney. I especially found #2 to be helpful.
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I should have credited my mom on that one. She shared it with me recently and it was a game changer.
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Great post Whitney. Even after 40 years of marriage, I have to remind myself of these choices!!
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I don’t think we ever reach a place in marriage that we’re past needing to work on those things!
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