Bubba   |  Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Tags: Faith Family

RE: Marriage - Marriage Maintenance

When you buy a new car, you don’t think about having to someday buy new tires for it… or having to get the oil changed. Why is that?

Well, first of all, it’s brand new! You just got this beautiful, new treasure and to think about anything going wrong with it seems almost disrespectful, right? Well, we all know how that goes. We’ve all been there. Soon the newness wears off. That new car smell is quickly replaced with fast food and dirty socks, and no matter how careful you are, you are sure to pick up a few nicks and scrapes and dents and dings along the way. No matter how much you love your car, it needs maintenance to keep it going.

Why should our relationships be any different?

Cindy and I have been teaching Sunday School to newlyweds and new couples for more than 20 years, and I continue to see great couples struggle because they forget to make sure their marriage is in tune.

Here are a few suggestions on how to perform marriage maintenance on an ongoing basis:

Daily prayer – pray together and alone. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: There is nothing more powerful in a relationship than inviting Christ to be a part of it

Church – find a church home where you and your spouse can get involved and learn and grow together. Join a small group and begin to do life together with other couples in similar stages of life

Date Night – Don’t ever stop “dating” your spouse. It is so important – especially after you have kids – to take time for yourselves and focus on each other and having fun together on a regular basis.

What are some other suggestions for marriage maintenance? I would love to hear how you perform regular relationship tune-ups…

I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 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 4:1-3