Marriage checkup

How is Your Marriage Relationship?
Written by JB & Shugie Collingsworth

Have you prayed lately for your relationship, and for God to make you the spouse He wants you to be? Maybe you've wandered from God, or maybe you don't feel as close to your spouse as you should. Pray and earnestly ask God to intervene in your situation.

Just think, if we prayed for our relationships daily and asked for God's intervention in our lives instead of trying to conquer on our own, think how differently things might be. This verse could become reality in our lives: "In everything with prayer and thanksgiving make your requests known unto God." Philippians 4:6.

Stress Can be Hard on Marriage
Stress is tough but also can be an excuse for couples not pursuing wholeness. In the "best of times" you do not have to worry. In the "worst of times," the worst of our personality comes out if we are not controlled by the Holy Spirit. Why do so many couples divorce after the death of a child? It is because stress can take a terrible toll. What are your stress points? What do you need to work on individually and as a couple so that stress does not get the best of you and your relationship?

The Importance of Relationships
The bottom line is that the relationships you have are very important. You live and move because of your relationship to God. If you follow Him, you function daily as He leads. The relationships you build are the most important. I have friends everywhere. I consider relationships above all else in life. I function best when with friends and when I have in-depth friendships. But, most importantly, how do I function with my spouse, my family, and my close friends? Am I treating them as unto the Lord?

Re-evaluate where you are in your marriage relationship. Does your spouse feel left out, or are you placing too much emphasis on your children? The bond of a parent and child should not be stronger than the bond with your spouse. Ask God to be
#1 in your life and make sure your relationship with your spouse is
#2. Your kids will grow up and leave but your spouse stays. Build good things in your marriage now, learning how to see things from His perspective.