Just as there are signs pointing to a person's health status, there are also signs that show if a marriage relationship is growing strong and healthy or not. Every marriage has its own rooms and areas for improvement, and the signs help identify which ones need the most attention.
Here are five signs that indicate a strong and growing marriage relationship. I hope you would watch out for them in your marriage.
1) God is prioritized above each other
"Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment." (Matthew 22:37-38)
In successful marriages, both the husband and wife know that God is more important than each other, and puts Him ahead of one another. Christians must recognize that marriage is a relationship between three parties: God, the husband, and the wife – with God at the helm.
2) Both parties prioritize each other next to God
"He answered, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?"" (Matthew 19:4-5)
In a Godly marriage, both parties recognize their oneness in Christ and work towards it. Thus, they learn to prioritize one another over others, only next to God. They put their relationship before other relationships, and forsake other relationships that might be damaging to the marriage union.
To this end, husbands will do their best to love and understand their wives. The wives, on the other hand, will do their best to respect understand their husbands.
3) A strong commitment to fulfilling their vows – and never leaving one another behind
"So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no man put asunder." (Matthew 19:6)
When the going gets tough, the married couple should become more loving. Husbands and wives who commit to love each other in the midst of challenges will bear the fruit of strong marriages. They stand by their vows, and make sure to fulfill them no matter what.
4) Open, honest, and affectionate communication
"...speaking the truth in love, we may grow up in all things into Him, who is the head, Christ Himself." (see Ephesians 4:15)
For marriage relationships to be healthy and growing, open and honest communication is a must.
According to a recent survey, communication is the number one area couples want to get help in. If married couples want their marriage to grow they should aim to have open, honest, and caring communication.
5) A singular vision: to please God
"Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?" (Amos 3:3)
When God created man and woman, He had a single purpose for both of them: to take dominion of all creation. They were meant to do it together – with the woman as the man's equal laborer and partner in the work.
For couples to make such a partnership work doesn't mean they'll do the same thing all the time. They only need to agree on the direction that God has intended for them, and although the roles they play might differ, their end goal remains the same: to please God.
