Proverbs 15:13-19, 22 [NLT] – A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit. A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash. For the despondent, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast. Better to have little, with fear for the Lord, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil. A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate. A hot-tempered person starts fights; a cool-tempered person stops them. A lazy person’s way is blocked with briers, but the path of the upright is an open highway…Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.
Early in a relationship, going out to have fun and make memories on dates is what helps things get off the ground. But before long, marriage gets bogged down with work to do, bills to pay, errands to run, laundry to fold, dishes to wash, and kids to tend to.
Dating should not end when we get married. Dating should get even better once we are married.
In our book Real Marriage, my wife Grace and I talked about three kinds of marriages:
- Shoulder-to-shoulder – these people get a lot done, are good at working together, but are more roommates than soulmates
- Back-to-back – these people have reached a rough place in their relationship and are not really dealing with it
- Face-to-face – these people are friends and take time to go on dates, make memories, and keep the romance kindled
God can make your heart glad. God can give you wisdom. God can change your heart to be happy and find something good to enjoy every day.
Our world is filled with people whose lives are full, but souls are empty. They have a lot of money, possessions, and wealth but are starving for relationship, love, and peace.
One key to a face-to-face marriage is learning to enjoy who you are with more than what you are doing. Another is learning how to put water on a fight rather than gas. A third is to work hard at what matters while seeking the wise counsel of others who have a great marriage. This will allow you to make plans for the future so that something fun is always on the horizon to look forward to with your spouse.
Who do you know that has a great marriage and could be wise counsel for you?