Yesterday, I got to talk about The Facts of Life. My challenge to the married couples in our church is to openly discuss their romantic relationship this week. That’s right, schedule and plan a sit down, face to face, heart to heart meeting to get real honest with each other.
For this to be effective, you’ll want to prepare and pray before the meeting. Prepare two lists. First, write down and discuss what you love about your relationship now, in any area. Start with compliments. Make the list as long as you can. The second list is, “What I’d like to see different.”
Don’t make “you” statements like “You always do this… You never do this …” Any statement that starts with “you” can be an received as an accusation and is likely to cause conflict. Instead, make “I” statements – “Here’s what I need…. Here’s what I’d like … Here’s what I’d like us to think about…”
When you come together for this meeting, have a spirit of cooperation, not competition. Remember, you love each other. You’re married. You’re in this together. Don’t fix the blame. Fix the problem.
Do it in the spirit of encouragement. We always change faster through encouragement than we do through criticism. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Encourage each other and build each other up.”
I’m praying for you this week that God will strengthen your marriage and that He will be honored through your relationship.