Marriage Mastery Advice – Secrets to a Thriving Relationship

The Best Marriage Advice Ever?

For those of us who have been navigating the internet since the 1990s, we’ve seen a deluge of emails, message board posts, and blog articles packed with so-called “facts” and advice lists being shared everywhere. With the rise of social media over the past 15 years, the distribution of these materials has exponentially skyrocketed, often for worse rather than better, as a lot of terrible info has reached a lot of eyeballs.

Today, there’s an overwhelming amount of online content—memes, videos, posts, and fake news—that no one could ever fully sift through. Most of it isn’t worth our time.

However, every now and then, a gem surfaces on social media that deserves our attention. My wife recently shared one such piece with me titled “The Best Marriage Advice Ever.”

To my surprise, it offered highly sound and wise marriage advice. Often, online marriage advice is hit-or-miss, with some good insights mixed in with counter-productive, worldly, and self-centered content. But this “Best Marriage Advice Ever” is solid and something I would feel comfortable using to coach or mentor any engaged or young married couple.

In trying to find the original author to give proper attribution, I scoured the internet but came up empty-handed as to who initially came up with these pieces of wisdom. So, as you read these tips, know that someone else initially compiled them. I did make a few tweaks for better readability and added some of my own tips.

Wherever you are in your marriage journey, I hope you enjoy these and consider integrating them into your lives. God bless!

THE BEST MARRIAGE ADVICE EVER

• Choose to love each other even when you struggle to like each other. Love is a commitment made through action, not a feeling.
• Always answer the phone when your spouse is calling, and when possible, try to keep your phone off when you’re together.
• Make time together a priority. Budget for regular date nights. Time is the currency of relationships, so consistently invest in your marriage.
• Surround yourself with Christian friends who will strengthen your marriage and distance yourself from those who may tempt you to compromise your values.
• Make laughter a key part of your marriage. Share joyful moments, and even in tough times, find reasons to laugh.
• In every disagreement, remember there aren’t winners or losers. According to the Bible, you are spiritually one flesh (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:5, Ephesians 5:31). Since you two are one, when you fight with your spouse, you’re essentially fighting yourself. You’re partners, so you’ll either win together or lose together. Work together to find solutions.
• Understand that a strong marriage rarely has two strong people at the same time. Usually, it’s one spouse being strong for the other in moments of weakness.
• Prioritize intimacy in your relationship. It takes more than a physical connection to build a strong marriage, but it’s nearly impossible without it. Make sure you maintain a healthy sex life with your spouse.
• Remember that marriage isn’t “50-50,” divorce is 50-50. When most people refer to “50-50,” they’re referring to leadership or decision-making in a marriage. The husband and wife can’t each be the boss or co-boss. The man must step up and honorably take the mantle of leader in a marriage (1 Corinthians 11:3-4 and Ephesians 5:22-33).
• Marriage requires both partners to give 100% effort, even when they feel like it’s not reciprocated by the other spouse.
• Give your best to each other, not what’s left after giving your best to everyone else.
• Learn from others, but don’t compare your life or marriage to anyone else’s. God’s plan for you is uniquely crafted.
• Don’t put your marriage on hold or in second place while raising kids; otherwise, you might end up with an empty nest and an empty marriage.
• Regularly express gratitude for your spouse. Thank God for them and make it a habit to appreciate each other’s qualities and efforts.
• Never keep secrets from each other. Secrecy is the enemy of intimacy.
• Never lie to each other. Lies break trust, and trust is the foundation of a strong marriage.
• When you make a mistake, admit it and seek forgiveness. Be quick to say, “I was wrong. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”
• Forgive your spouse. Embrace forgiveness as a vital part of your marriage. Remember that Christ forgave us, and we should extend the same grace to our spouse.
• When trust is broken, offer forgiveness to promote healing and create an opportunity for trust to be rebuilt. Be quick to say, “I love you. I forgive you. Let’s move forward.”
• Be patient with each other. Your spouse is more important than your schedule.
• Model a marriage that will inspire your sons to be good husbands and your daughters to be good wives.
• Never speak badly about your spouse to others or vent about them online. Always protect your spouse. Instead, praise your spouse in front of other people. If something negative needs to be discussed about your spouse, speak to them privately and respectfully.
• Always wear your wedding ring as a reminder of your connection and commitment.
• Center your lives around Christ and the Bible. Read and follow the Word of God together.
• Get involved in a community of faith. A good, Bible-preaching, Gospel-preaching church can significantly impact your marriage and family.
• Pray together daily. Every marriage is stronger with God at its center.
• When choosing between saying nothing or saying something mean to your spouse, choose to say nothing.
• Never consider annulment as an option. Remember, a “perfect marriage” is just two imperfect people who refuse to give up on each other.
• Support each other’s spiritual growth. Encourage your spouse to pursue their relationship with God and their spiritual gifts.
• Embrace humility in your interactions. Remember that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).