Uplift Your Marriage

Dino and I found our interactions with one another to be in a constant downward spiral. It happens quickly, y’all. One girls’ night out and a little bashing of the husbands. All in good fun, of course, but then it quickly turns into a husband-bashing session that leaves you feeling unenthusiastic about your spouse when you get home. So basically, our spouses haven’t even done anything yet, but we are already annoyed with them.

So Dino and I decided to challenge ourselves in the opposite way. An upward spiral of intention and love and lustful desires for one another. We first challenged ourselves to spend a week straight, capturing our thoughts and letting them flow through into our actions. But we discovered the effects on our marriage were contagious. We didn’t want to stop.

Our thoughts become the words we speak. Our words become our actions. So much so that Jesus’ brother James writes that your tongue “can set your whole life on fire” (James 3:6, NLT). Any marriage can quickly have a downward spiral triggered by one or both spouses when we allow negative thoughts to translate into words and ultimately actions.

Spend time making an upward spiral today. Focus on the thoughts you have for your spouse. Cut off the negative thoughts before they can take root, and replace them with only positive thoughts. Be intentional today in finding aspects of your spouse that are amazing—the reasons you married them—and let those thoughts be reflected in your words...and your actions will reflect the meditations of your heart. Before you read, pray that Christ will awaken in you a desire for your spouse, that He will grant self-control, and that He will comfort you with hope for the future of your marriage.