Fortify Your Marriage Before It Decays

Just as you would protect your valuables, your marriage should be protected too! We often focus our attention on the things that are clearly visible. For example, our kids need new tennis shoes, the car in the driveway needs to be clean, the living room needs a new paint job, the water filter in the refrigerator needs to be changed and so on. Life can be so demanding, we can forget about the things we cannot see or touch, like our marriages. Yet, marriage is one of the most valuable parts of our lives and the infrastructure of our home, it needs protecting.   Obviously, we can see our spouse and touch the wedding bands around our fingers symbolizing our marriage, but what we don’t see are the requirements a marriage needs to remain strong. We can’t see the desire we have for uninterrupted, genuine conversations, or the longing our spouse has for a touch, yet those needs exist. Since they’re not “in your face” issues nor as loud as the children’s pitter patter down the halls or the boss’ voice at work, they’re easily forgotten. Sadly, many marriages have endured for weeks, months, and sometimes years without the proper attention. Often a marriage can appear unfaltering, surviving life’s roller coasters in cruise control, until one day when there’s an emptiness that can’t be ignored anymore. Within time, like mold to a house, marriages slowly deteriorate from lack of care, attention, and protection. Without proper fortification, we can find ourselves left with only the memories of a marriage that once framed the foundation of our homes.

Marriage requires intention and attention. It’s one of those things in life we cannot simply wait for time to be made available, we have to take the time! All marriages need interaction, conversation, and love in action. A couple must intentionally set a time to give attention to their spouse. Whether they need to hire a babysitter or spend some quality time after the babies are asleep; at least once a month, there needs to be some uncompromised quality time.

A fallacy many young lovers fall prey to is the idea that emotion, a feeling of love, is enough to make a marriage successful. Yet, a marriage demands so much more. Marriage takes a commitment and a determination by both spouses to purposely do whatever is necessary to preserve the relationship. It cannot survive on the past conversations, date nights, or interactions a couple had when they first met. It thrives on continuing those intentional actions to preserve the relationship. The more you sacrifice for your marriage, the more valuable it becomes. Remind each other how valuable your relationship is to each other and aim to fortify it to withstand any storm of life.

I’m putting together an e-book this year where I will be discussing in greater detail the following ways one can fortify their marriage:

• Against Intruders
• Selflessness
• Unforgiveness
• Setting Boundaries
• Cultivate Your Friendship
• Speak Each Other’s Love Language
• Marriage Investment
• Teamwork Mentality
• Keeping God first 

Nothing is ever protected by default. Marriages are safeguarded by intentionally giving it the attention it needs to keep it secure and thriving. When a marriage gets the attention it needs, the marriage becomes strong, restored, refreshed and even rejuvenated. Those type of marriages can last a lifetime! I’m praying your marriage will endure the trials ahead because you and your spouse will make the time to strengthen, secure and fortify it!

If you’re interested in receiving a free copy of my e-book, be sure to subscribe to my blog before the end of this year. Simply go to my home page, click on the follow button and enter your email address. All of my future posts will go straight to your email inbox and you’ll be the first to receive my upcoming e-book: Fortify Your Marriage!

May God bless you and your Marriage!