I’ve been thinking about some marriage tips since my daughter got married last weekend. Here’s some advice from her dad and I, along with
adaptations of sayings I’ve collected over the years.
Give of yourself freely.
Expect less of yourself and others.
It’s more important to be kind than to be right.
Always remember to laugh, and love.
Always be willing to learn.
Surround yourselves with people who are smarter and more positive than you are.
Start and end each day with a kiss and “I love you.”
Never say goodbye without first saying, “I love you.”
Adopt the attitude of when life gets tough, you get tougher.
Forgiveness makes you better instead of bitter.
Speak softly in case you have to eat your words.
Always DO the next right thing.
Tackle life one bite at a time.
Life isn’t fair, but God is good.
Life is too short to spend the majority of it angry.
Don’t get a credit card unless you make the rule to pay it off every month.
Don’t worry about being right or wrong. Be part of the solution.
Put $10 from every check into savings for retirement. You’ll retire a millionaire.
Make peace with your past so it won’t destroy your future.
Don’t compare yourself to others – compare yourself to yourself.
Think on things that are true, lovely, and positive.
When something goes wrong, ask yourself, “Will this even matter five years from now? Or even a month from now?
Don’t take yourself or life seriously and it will fly faster.
Believe in miracles.
God loves you because of who He is; not because of anything you did or did not do.
For fewer worries and a longer life, live simply.
Give 100% to your spouse – not 50/50.
In an argument, don’t bring up the past, the word “divorce,” or threaten money or to withhold intimacy.
Make requests instead of demands.
Wives need to continue to “look good” for their husbands. Don’t drop the make-up, wear curlers and stay in your robe all day, in other words .
Keep date nights.
Encourage each other by reinforcing what they do right. Build them up.
Don’t sweat the small stuff. “It DON’T MATTER!”
Always put your spouse before children for that was God’s design after all.
Remember, you can’t change the other person so focus on what you can change – YOURSELF!
Keep all complaints about your spouse to yourself.
Treat your spouse better than your friends.
Don’t let someone else move in your first year. Definite deal-breaker and marriage-destroyer.
Treat your spouse as an equal; an adult. Don’t parent them by rescuing them from learning their own consequences.
Safety first – especially when angry. Learn to walk away.
Act in your spouse’s best interest. Do one unselfish thing for them every day.
Brag on your spouse to others.
In discussions, use words like, “I feel this way when..,” or “When you do…it makes me feel…”
Never go to bed angry. Don’t allow yourselves to sleep on the couch.
A great resource for newlyweds or marriages wanting strengthened, check out marriagebuilders.com, and the book His Needs, Her Needs, written by Dr. Willard Harley.
Which was your favorite?
© 2015, Jena Fellers. All rights reserved.
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