God meant marriage to be a top-level priority between a man and a woman. Husbands and wives should prioritise their relationship with each other before their jobs, professions, hobbies, even their kids and other relatives. Marriage is very sacred and requires much effort and love.
More Than Just Neighbours
Jesus told us in Matthew 22:37-40 that the greatest commandment would be to love God will all our heart, soul, and strength. He then said that the second greatest commandment would be to love our neighbours as ourselves. Quite frankly, all of us who are married can all say that our spouses are more than just "neighbours" to us: They're one with us, and we're one with them.
"This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one." (Genesis 2:24 NLT)
Practical Ways to Prioritise
With marriage being our most important relationship next only to the one we have with God individually, it simply follows that we should prioritise it. Here are some practical ways to do that.
1. Set Aside Time to Be Alone With Your Spouse
The time we dedicate for anything indicates just how much we prioritise it. Jesus always set aside time for Him to pray and commune with His Father in heaven. He dedicated time for His disciples to teach them well. And yes, He gave a full 33 and-a-half years to be a normal human being like us, simply showing us just how much He valued us.
In the same way, decide to give more time alone for your spouse. This means setting everything aside so that you can focus on nothing else but your spouse. Do it every day.
2. Learn to Put Your Spouse Ahead of You
Ephesians 5:21-33 teaches all husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church, and all wives to submit to their husbands the same way the church submits to Christ. We have to understand that both the husbands and the wives aren't told to demand from each other, but rather look to serve one another in love.
The husbands are commanded to be sacrificial in their love for their wives, and the wives are commanded to be sacrificial in their submission (not blind obedience) to their husbands. Both parties should learn to put each other ahead.
3. Meet Your Spouse's Needs First Before Others
In the same passage in Ephesians 5, all of us husbands are told to love our wives like Christ did the church – pursuing the church single-mindedly. In the same way, we must realise that we should also focus on meeting our spouse's needs first before we ever try to meet other peoples' needs, if ever we need to.
Don't go acting like everyone's superhero, all the while failing to meet your spouse's needs. That won't please God, and will hurt your spouse more than you know.
