The reality is that marriages will always have negative forces coming against it...knocking at the door hoping to come in. Sometimes you can see that negative force approaching the door of your marriage well in advance. However, there may be times when that negative force sneaks up to your marriage door and camps out...waiting for the opportunity to sneak in. I said sneak in, but here's the truth of the matter...it can't sneak in. The only way that negative force can come into your marriage is if you open the door and let it in.
Now let me define what I mean when I say negative force. Negative force is any thing, any person, any thought, any behavior, or any substance that can severely damage or destroy a marriage. The things that fall into these categories are all around and will always be present in the world we live in. A very good book that I am reading mentions that these negative things are always trying to tempt marriages into doing something out of line of the marriage covenant. However, we have a choice in determining if we let these negative things enter our marriage.
Yes, we have a choice...everything we do is based on a choice we make. If you are not communicating properly with your spouse, you are choosing to do so. If you are not loving your spouse the way they should be loved, you are choosing to do so. If you are physically, verbally, or mentally abusing you spouse, you are choosing to do so. If you are doing things not within the realms of your marriage covenant, you are choosing to do so.
If none of these things are present in your marriage, great! Keep it that way by ensuring you have a great rapport with your spouse (talk about everything), love your spouse the way they want to be loved (service, gifts, affection, acknowledgement, time), treat your spouse like the queen or king they are, and don't look for anything or anybody outside of your spouse...everything needs to be fulfilled by and with your spouse.
It must be a team effort to ensure the negative forces don't come in. You have to check all aspects of yourself to make sure YOU're not doing something to crack the door of your marriage which could allow those negative things to enter in. You must remember that all it takes is a crack...that's all the negative force needs. Do what you have to do to ensure your marriage is protected. It's your choice!
KEY TAKEAWAY: Don't let YOU open the door.
Love hard and love true.
Let me know your thoughts.
