Love a Little Stronger - Crosswalk PLUS Marriage Devotional
Marriage
Audio By Carbonatix
5:00 AM on Wednesday, June 24
By Carrie Lowrance, Marriage
Love a Little Stronger
By Carrie Lowrance
“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us together with perfect harmony.” (Colossians 3:14, NLT)
This verse shows that, besides our relationship with God, love is the glue that binds our marriages. We all want stronger marriages and relationships with our spouses. Some ways to do this include studying the Bible together, choosing love in daily actions, and communicating with grace and honesty. Still, sometimes life pulls us in different directions when it gets busy, which can strain our marriages from time to time. This is when the small things matter. If you are yearning for a stronger marriage, try each of these things for one day and watch your relationship with your spouse grow.
There are many ways to love a little stronger in your marriage. Building your marriage on faith is important and is the fundamental building block of a marriage and a relationship. This means that God is the center of your relationship and that you both seek to honor Him in your daily life together. Things like trusting in God’s guidance, forgiveness, and grace are important. Having faith in marriage gives the relationship a stronger foundation, encourages selflessness, and provides hope in hard times. If your relationship with the Lord is lacking, go to Him in prayer, ask for forgiveness, and recommit yourself to Him.
Love in action is another way to strengthen your marriage. Contrary to the world’s belief, love is a choice and not a feeling. All couples go through hard times or have days when they argue or get on each other’s nerves. This is when choosing love is most important, especially in daily actions. If you’re having an argument, pause and think before you react. Other ways to choose love include writing a love note and putting it in your spouse’s lunchbox or picking up a bottle of their favorite beverage at the gas station. It doesn’t have to be extravagant, just consistent. Choose love today and do something sweet for your spouse, no matter how small.
Communication is also vital for a stronger marriage. It is a key aspect of marriage, and when lives get busy, it can go by the wayside. This is when resentment can build up on both your part and your spouse's. Someone forgot to pick up a gallon of milk, or your spouse forgot to sign the permission slip for your daughter’s field trip. Communicate honestly and extend grace to one another rather than getting angry. Try communicating with grace and honesty today and see how it changes your relationship.
Another important pillar of a strong marriage is forgiveness. Forgiveness is important in all aspects of our lives, but especially in marriage. Spouses have arguments and sometimes say things that hurt each other. If there is anything you haven’t forgiven your spouse for recently, go to them today and ask for it, and then ask them to forgive you. This way, you can start over with a fresh slate.
When we think about serving one another, we cringe because it’s seen as being under someone’s thumb. Serving one another is about love in action, and instead of being grand and showy, it’s normally quiet and ordinary. Things like starting dinner before your spouse gets home, folding the two baskets of laundry that’ve been sitting in the laundry room, or cleaning the bathroom. Serving each other reflects gratitude, strengthens your relationship, and prevents burnout and bitterness. Do something today to ‘serve’ your spouse.
Praying together is a foundation of a strong relationship. Keeping a united front no matter what is going on in your life, and praying together, are ways to strengthen your marriage. Take some time today to pray together, asking God to bring you closer to each other and to him.
Planning for the future is part of a strong marriage. Sit down today and talk about ways to strengthen your bond for the future. Communicate honestly, read the Bible and pray together, trust God in all situations, and serve each other with joyful hearts.
There will be days when conflict reigns. Conflict in a marriage can easily drive a wedge between spouses. This is when we need to trust God to work things out. He may work something out with our spouse. In addition, honest communication, grace, and forgiveness are also important. Take a small step today to end conflict with your spouse.
Marriage will test your patience from time to time. Patience and understanding with our spouses can be hard sometimes. Patience is the ability to wait, endure, and remain steady without becoming frustrated or discouraged. Most things in life take time, and it’s easy to become frustrated with each other and our circumstances. Understanding means seeing our spouse’s perspective and taking it into consideration. Try some patience and understanding with your spouse today.
Our marriages are a mirror of our relationship with God. Building your marriage on faith, choosing love, communicating openly and honestly, and practicing patience and understanding are great ways to create a strong marriage.
Let’s Pray:
Dear Lord I pray You will help us grow in our relationship and in You together. Show us our struggles and strengths. Work out the things in each of us that need to be worked out and help us grow stronger together. Amen.
Application: What is one specific strength you see in your relationship, and how can you intentionally use that strength this week to grow closer to each other and to God?
Challenge: What is one struggle, weakness, habit, or area of growth that God may be revealing in you right now, and what is one practical step you can take this week to let Him work on it for the good of your relationship?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/PeopleImages
Carrie Lowrance is a freelance writer and author. She has had her work featured on Crosswalk, iBelieve, Huffington Post, and the Penny Hoarder. She is also the author of three children’s books, three clean romance books, one romance novella, three books of poetry, and one non-fiction book. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and baking, reading, and hanging out with her husband, and sweet cat, Cupcake. You can find out more about Carrie and her writing at www.carrielowrance.com.
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