Be at peace among yourselves. (1 Thessalonians 5:13)Peace in the relational sense is the inner tranquility that springs forth from a common source. Differences between us and others tend to produce anxiety and not peace, but great differences tend to produce considerable anxiety. Most of us tend to be threatened by differences between us and…

Be completely humble and gentle. (Ephesians 4:2) Gentleness in marriage means treating my spouse according to his/her worth as declared by our Savior. It means talking in a way that is free from rudeness or abruptness. Gentleness means being considerate of my spouse’s feelings and preferences. It means being free from roughness or harshness. It…

Live as free men… live as servants of God. (1Peter 2:16)Giving freedom in marriage means I allow my spouse to be different from me, to be unique. Freedom means not dwelling on past hurts. It means not being fearful about the future, but being committed to living in the present. Freedom means learning to relax…

This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17) In order to define what kind of environment the Lord wants for our marriages, we need to look at the environment the heavenly Father created for His Son. We read in Scriptures that as Christ came up out of the baptismal waters,…

Be of the same mind toward one another. (Romans 12:16)Your spouse leaves the dishes in the sink after promising to clean them up, and there is nothing clean to eat on when dinnertime rolls around. Your spouse is supposed to pick up the dry cleaning and doesn’t, leaving you without an article of clothing you…

There is a time to keep silence, and a time to speak. (Ecclesiastes 3:7)“Nothing’s wrong. It really doesn’t matter!” – these are classic lines from a person who hides feelings of hurt, irritation, and unmet needs, but who settles inside with pain or anger. Rather than “cause problems” or risk rejection, the “hider” seeks to…

He who humbles himself will be exalted. (Luke 14:11)It feels great to have someone – a friend, a family member – view you as a person of great worth. To have such a promise of exaltation from the Lord is tremendous. But to be valued as important by one’s spouse may be the highest exaltation…

Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction, but he who regards a rebuke will be honored. (Proverbs 13:18)Think of some of the greatest inventions – the lightbulb, the telephone, and the airplane, for example. These things all have at least this one thing in common: It took hundreds of failed efforts before…

I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin. (Psalms 38:18)The belief of the world outside is “love means never having to say you’re sorry.” Love – true love – means saying “I’m sorry” all the time. Why? Because, as fallen human beings, all of us mess up from time to…

Song of Solomon 1:1-16 Once Pastor Adrian Rogers asked a marriage counsellor what percentage of marriage problems are rooted in communication. He said 100 percent. If you trace the problem back, it began somewhere with poor communication. You have a choice when you marry – either communicate or disintegrate. And this love poem we call…