I’m not sure how to start such a post as this, but as I am writing for me I am going to start how I want too.
Marriage should not be about love. Love can be the greatest asset to a marriage but it is also its greatest enemy. Too often people use love wrongly when it comes to marriage. You marry because you love, you divorce because you fell out of love, you struggling loving yourself so you need space from your spouse to learn to love yourself. I do think that love should be a tool when it comes to strengthen your marriage but be weary that you do not use love to ruin your marriage. The truth about marriage is that before love became a factor in marriage, there were less divorces.
What marriages need is more Commitment, Courage, and Integrity. We put too much stock on love that to really create our dream marriage we need to focus on other attributes that will grow a marriage. I do love my husband most of the time, but to claim I love him all the time would be lying. I don’t even love myself all the time or even my kids, Why would I love him all the time? here’s the kicker, You don’t have too love someone all the time to have an amazing marriage.
What you do need to have is Commitment, having commitment allows you to stay true to your marriage even when love is absent. Having commitment means you make choices and decisions that will grow your marriage because you want it to last. Having commitment means you stick around even when it is hard and you feel like your the only one who cares about your marriage. When you have commitment, you have the ability to weather any storm the world throws at you because you have already decided that your marriage is going to last for eternity.
Your marriage needs Courage. Courage to say what needs to be said, even when you know it might offend or upset them. Courage to brave the storms when all you want to do is curl up in a ball and sleep forever. Courage to fight off Satan as he seeks to tear your marriage apart. Courage to stand by your husband when no one else will . Courage to choose loving your husband when walking away would be easier. Having courage is not about never having fear but having the stamina and determination to look fear in the eyes and telling them “I am fighting for my marriage!”. When you have courage in your marriage it helps to grow your marriage to the next level.
Integrity is another attribute that your marriage needs. Because without integrity, Satan will win. Integrity helps you be true to your marriage. Integrity allows you to be faithful when the world wouldn’t blame you for walking away. Integrity is about doing what you know to be right even when no one is watching. Integrity is staying committed even when the moment you made that choice is no longer there.
This is my truth. Some may disagree, others might get inspired. What I do hope is that when you seek the truth about your marriage that you find attributes outside of love that help you to strengthen, build, and grow your marriage to the level that the Heavenly Father knows it can be.