Everyone has advice when it comes to marriage and relationships. However, you may be ignoring the person with the best marriage advice available- God. Before you turn to friends, look to your Bible when you find yourself struggling. Here are 10 ways God can help strengthen your marriage.
1. Church can bring you closer together spiritually
A husband and wife share a number of different connections. There is an emotional connection, a physical connection, and, a spiritual connection. While a person’s relationship with the Lord is personal, a couple must understand each other spiritually. Going to church together can help increase this spiritual bond. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”
2. Establishes similar values
It is difficult for a couple to survive if they have vastly different values. Two God-loving individuals will have more similar values than a Christian with someone who is atheist, agnostic, or a different religion. Common Christian values include love, inclusion, living a godly life, and, most importantly, devotion to the Lord.
1 Corinthians 13:13: So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
3. Bible can help clarify roles in the home
There should be a balance in the household that starts with the heads of the family. To establish this balance, it’s crucial for husband and wife to clarify roles. This ensures that all aspects of a happy, godly home are covered. Of curse, both parents can take on duplicitous roles. For example, both parents can take on the role of guiding the children spiritually.
Ecclesiastes 4:9: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?”
4. Learn how to get along with different types of people
Every couple has differences. Some couples have different political views or ideas on how to discipline children, or ideas on how to spend money. These large differences can obviously create disagreements and tension. However, God teaches us to respect others and their beliefs. This respect will help as you navigate through the differences you encounter in your relationship. Ultimately, you will learn to come to a mutual understanding.
Proverbs 21:19: It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.
5. Raise kids in the church
One of the main reasons couples build their relationship in faith is to have kids that grow up with a religious foundation. A religious upbringing can instill proper morals into children and help them make the right decisions in life for themselves and others. They may even raise kids with the same beliefs, continuing the legacy in a world where people are turning away from the church at an alarming rate.
Proverbs 22:6: Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
6. Support system
Marriage and life in general can be difficult at times. It’s nice to have a support system in the church for when things get difficult. The church can offer marriage counseling if you are having difficulty in your marriage or child care for when you can’t afford it yourself. You will also get the opportunity to make friends and business connections rooted in integrity and trust. These people may become friends for the rest of your life. Your children may even make friends for life with friends they meet at church or religious school.
Isaiah 41:10: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
7. Enhance intimacy
Intimacy between a husband and wife is a natural, beautiful thing. It’s not sinful or something to be ashamed of. God himself encouraged a healthy romantic life in a married couple. In fact, it’s a great way to demonstrate affection and, of course, make babies. A strong foundation in faith can also enhance trust and connection, making the intimacy even better.
Hebrew 13:4: Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
8. Teaches commitment
One of the biggest problems in marriages is commitment. People get into relationships without fully knowing what they are getting in to. This could lead to problems in the marriage or even lead to infidelity. God, however, tells us to commit to marriage. He also tells us to commit to him. If someone can commit to the Lord, they will be more likely to commit in a relationship.
Mark 10:9: “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
9. Elevate mood and general happiness
Many people walk through life feeling empty inside. This emptiness often comes from a lack of confidence in their place in the world and what happens after they leave this terrestrial plane. Faith in God also comes with a faith in His plan. You will walk through life with a stronger sense of peace. This will give you the opportunity to focus on the small things in life that are beautiful and simple. These are the things that will keep a smile on your face. When you go into your marriage with this positive attitude, it will encourage positivity in your relationship.
1 John 4:7: Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
10. Find strength through the hard times
Marriage isn’t always going to be great. You will inevitably run into rough patches along the way. A solid foundation in God will give you strength through the difficult times. You will handle things how a good, Christian person would handle things. This can make you strong enough to get through disagreements, poverty, or illness as a unified front instead of letting those things break you.
Ephesians 4:32: Instead, be kind and tender-hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ.
While it’s not impossible to have a successful relationship without a combined love for the Lord, it certainly helps. When you make this a consideration in the beginning of your relationship, it will give strength for years to come. Choose a Christian mate from the beginning if that’s the life you want for yourself and your family, and you won’t discover fundamental differences later on that lead to divorce.