“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Psalm 27: 13

If you’ve ever had the privilege of being around a healthy marriage you’ll know that marriage is clearly a part of God’s perfect design. There is nothing greater than seeing an elderly couple who are still very much in love in their 80’s. I’m sure if you stopped and asked them, they would say that it hasn’t always been easy but they’ve probably learnt invaluable lessons along the way.

Just like this verse suggests, we will experience the goodness of what God is doing in our lives and I believe this to be true within marriage too.

If you’re praying for the perfect marriage I can guarantee you that it won’t just land on your lap. You have to invest in each other and the great rewards will come. Marriage should be a commitment to fun, laughter and adventure in the first year, fifth year and beyond. It’s not a one off romantic moment of kissing in the rain but a lifetime of commitment to love each other.

If there is any advice I can give it is to INVEST, INVEST, INVEST.

How can you invest in your marriage more? Do you go on adventures together? Do you still date each other? Do you still have fun together? These things don’t have to break the bank but it’s invaluable moments that make all the difference. The second you begin to take each other for granted is when you should stop and re-evaluate how you prioritise your relationship.

If I think of the healthy marriages around me, I know it hasn’t come without an element of sacrifice. These couples have chosen to see the value in their relationship and made an investment to see their marriage thrive. We obsess over making investments in other areas of our lives so why should marriage be any different?

How can you invest in your marriage more today? It’s not always huge adjustments, it could just be making it more of a priority to have quality time together. Just because you see eachother everyday doesn’t mean you don’t need to make any effort. How can you go out of your way to remind your spouse that they matter to you?

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Ephesians 5:25

This verse clearly depicts God’s heart for marriage and if God values marriage this much so should we.