For your marriage to keep thriving, you must stay on focus.
There are many ways to keep it on track.
Here are three really important ones.
Be thoughtful - Selfishness is the exact opposite of your goal for marriage.
You want oneness.
To experience the joys and disappointments life together is what you're after in marriage.
When you're selfish, you are eliminating the opportunity to hear from your spouse's heart.
Not considering their side of things cuts you short of facing issues in the strength of two.
Most people stay away from other people that are selfish.
Selfish people are taxing and aggravating.
Give something to your spouse: a gift, a listening ear or time together doing what they want to do.
Take the initiative - Can you be the one to start something that will have meaning in your marriage? By initiating something that adds to your relationship, you are showing your spouse that they are important to you.
You can start a conversation by asking how you can be more supportive or by just telling your spouse that you were thinking of them today.
Marriages that rarely have anyone initiating useful time together suffer more and more over the long run.
If you are thinking that your marriage will just take care of itself, you're wrong.
You need to take care of it.
Love unconditionally - Too many people love someone else because that person showed interest in them first.
That's an OK start, but what happens if that person loses interest? Unconditional love is pretty hard to live, however, you can work towards it.
Love your spouse because you love them, not only for their good looks or intelligence or gifts.
Choose to love them no matter what.
God gives us the great example in this.
He loves us even though we have rejected him and disobeyed him.
He loves those who curse him.
How would your spouse respond to you if they knew that you loved them in spite of their faults and flaws?