A loving and enduring relationship? It’s every married couple’s dream!
Whether you’ve been with your spouse for a year or 30, or you are just planning to tie the knot, you know that relationships aren’t a walk in the park. You wonder, “How can we build a loving relationship? Is it possible to sustain a marriage despite our shortcomings? Would God help us with this?”
Through God’s grace, it’s possible! Here’s how you can build and maintain a strong, healthy, and lasting marriage, according to Tanikala presents Senior Moment:
Key #1: Be humble and respectful
In Senior Moment, Pepe and Pilaring kept on bringing up the “sacrifices” they did for the family. Pepe kept on telling her wife that he did everything at work just to provide for their needs, while Pilaring said she also did all she could to take care of Pepe and their children.
Instead of acknowledging their unique role in the family and paying mutual respect, both kept scores in their relationship—saying lists of things one did not do or things he or she did that were insufficient and hurtful.
If you want a healthy and lasting relationship, it’s important to be humble and respectful, even in difficult times! Being sensitive to the thoughts and feelings of your partner will make them feel comfortable being with you. When you are humble and respectful, your partner will surely enjoy and value your company (Philippians 2:3), leading to a lasting relationship.
Key #2: Be forgiving
There will be times that you might offend your partner or the other way around. In Senior Moment, Pepe unintentionally told jokes that were already hurtful to Pilaring; he also buried himself in workloads that he never made time to spend with his wife – one main reason Pilaring did not like their marriage.
Whatever the case in the relationship, always remember that everyone makes mistakes and has a fair share of failures and weaknesses. The Bible teaches that no one should “return evil for evil” (Romans 12:17). So, instead of sowing hatred, calmly and privately talk to your partner about the matter.
In the end, Pepe and Pilaring learned how to openly communicate their needs and feelings, and started extending grace and forgiveness to each other. For a strong, healthy, and lasting marriage, God wants you to be forgiving and to be at peace with each other (Colossians 3:13).
Key #3: Let God be the center of your relationship
God is the author of marriage and relationships. He wants you to have a loving companionship and to live in harmony with each other.
Pepe and Pilaring forgave each other and chose to live together again, spending the rest of their lives caring for and loving each other – a manifestation of the will of God as He wants every couple to have a comforting and loving relationship.
When you put God as the center of your relationship, He will surely guide every decision you make. He will keep your marriage under His wings and will not let go of you from His tender protection. You and your partner will certainly speak love and peace with each other, modeling Jesus Christ (Proverbs 15:4).
Do you have prayer requests?
It is our joy to pray for you and your family. Call the CBN Asia Prayer Center at 8-737-0700 or send your prayer requests to our Facebook page.
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