Last year, I shared One Quick Trick for a Happier and Healthy Marriage, and today I'm sharing another one. Both of these concepts are things that Kyle and I practice regularly in our marriage and I think make a significant difference in the strength of our marriage.
This tip is so simple sounding at first, but when fleshed out can be more difficult than you think. It requires selflessness which is not always so easy to offer.
consider the other
...when you plan your time
...when you spend your money
...when you communicate
...when you manage your home
...when you pray
Easy, right? Just think of the other person. I find this to be pretty easy on days when everything is going my way and when I've gotten enough sleep and I'm not frustrated by parenting that day and Kyle hasn't done something I didn't like. It's pretty easy on those days. But on the days when I'm tired or days when things havn't gone my way, it's much more difficult. And that's because it requires me to not be selfish.
Ultimately, it's asking yourself, "How would [my spouse] feel in [this situation]"? And considering what is best. Sometimes it means you change course to meet those needs. Sometimes it might mean you change your tone of voice or how you communicate. Sometimes it might mean that you make a point to pick up before he gets home because he's had a hard day and needs a haven to come home to. Sometimes it means you change your plans and have dedicated prayer time FOR HIM. And sometimes it means you buy the Aloe Vitamin E Cottonelle Toilet Paper because it's his favorite kind even if it's $4 more expensive than the other brand.
It doesn't mean your spouse is controlling you. It doesn't mean you can't be independent or that your desires and needs aren't important. A marriage involving two people who are considering the other person is a marriage with love that "does not demand it's own way" and a love that "NEVER FAILS" (1 Corinthians 13). That's the kind of love I'm interested in for my marriage, so I make the effort to consider Kyle.
Today, the ladies of the BFBN are all talking about the topic of "love". Check out their posts below:
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