Marriage can grow more beautiful every day or it can be a source of pain in our lives. It’s really all up to us. It depends on whether or not we choose forgiveness moment by moment.
When Michael and I got married three decades ago, we could have never dreamed of how deep our love would grow. Occasionally, we will have an argument, but now we forgive instantly rather than let an offense take root inside us.
My marriage to Michael is living proof that Christ can empower us to walk in forgiveness toward each other even in the midst of the worst circumstances. Sometimes a separation is necessary as it was for me in 2002, but any marriage can be saved if it is covered in persistent prayer (Luke 11: 9-10).
Marriage is a gift from God that thrives beautifully when it is Christ-centered.
I wrote an article in 2012 with ten tips for a passionate marriage and shared it on my blog in 2015. I submitted it to the Unveiled Wife website three years ago and they recently posted it. The article has not been updated, so it says I have been married twenty-eight years. However, I have actually been married thirty-one years.
I pray that you will be blessed by reading the ways Christ restored the passion in my marriage.
Ten Ways to Have a Passionate Marriage
After a tumultuous season in our marriage and a brief separation, my husband and I decided to do whatever it took to get our lives back on track.
We met when I was an eighteen-year-old student and got married when I was nineteen.
Over a decade later we had two children, piles of debt from several failed businesses, and the stress had taken a toll on our relationship. Our marriage hit rock bottom.
Then after a season of brokenness, the healing of our rocky relationship began. Through prayer, forgiveness, and the love of Christ, our marriage not only survived—it was gloriously restored.
To celebrate what God had done for us, in 2010, we renewed our vows and celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary.
It’s now better than it’s ever been, twenty-eight years after we said, “I do.”
Marriage is a gift from God that is supposed to be a beautiful mirror image of the love between Christ and His church. It’s a covenant that is meant to last our entire lives.
How do we keep the passion alive throughout our lifetimes? Is it possible to be deeply in love after two or three decades of being together? Absolutely.
I will never stop sharing the story of my restored marriage. It’s a story of redemption that I hope will encourage other married couples to never give up.
A few years ago, a friend told me about a great idea she had for putting together a “Happy Marriage Recipe Booklet” for a bride-to-be she knew. My friend asked me to contribute my own special recipe for a great marriage.
After a few days of praying and searching my heart for the best marriage tips, I came up with a top ten list that has contributed to my thriving marriage.
To read the entire article, click the link below.
