The Lord preserves the faithful, but abundantly requites him who acts haughtily (Psalm 31:23).

"Rejoice in the wife of your youth. Let her affection fill you at all times with delight, be infatuated always with her love. Why should you be infatuated with a loose woman and embrace the bosom of an adventuress? For a man's ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he watches all his paths" (Proverbs 5:18-21). "The commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, to preserve you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adventuress. Do not desire another's beauty in your heart, and do not let another capture you with her eyes.....for an adulteress stalks a man's very life" (Proverbs 6:23-26). Marriage is a relationship of wholeness. You give the whole of yourself to the whole of your spouse. It can never be a partial gift; thus, there is nothing left to give to anyone other than your spouse. It's a constant growing relationship and will take time and commitment to become everything to one another. Patience, honesty, and total devotedness are essential; it's what God wants for your relationship and He always knows best. Unless you've added the God factor; you will never know what deeply devoted to your spouse means. You can't be alone in your marriage covenant; it's a sacrament of the church. One step to faithfulness in your marriage will be to learn to forgive. The above suggestions are theological steps to faithfulness. But you must consider practical steps to insure faithfulness in your marriage. The first has to do with schedule and priorities. You are asked to do all sorts of things; being wanted to be somewhere, or to do something. It must be a determined effort to think of the needs of your spouse. You need to be sure to put special designated times with your spouse on the calendar so you will be mindful of a scheduled engagement appointment. Remember the special occasions, and as an added bonus, make special occasions out of ordinary days. A huge factor for a faithfulness builder is communication. Share with your spouse what is going on in your life and in turn listen attentively to what is going on in his or her life. Watch their body language; it's a great indicator of how well you are pleasing them. Make plans together with your spouses feelings in mind, and take into consideration what you both want; not just the things you prefer. These things let your spouse know how special they are. God is a God of faithfulness. You need to be faithful as well. Remember the Lord was witness to the covenant between you and your spouse. Do not break the covenant you made with the person you chose to live your life with (My added thoughts with This Love We Share by Harry and Emily Griffith). Sherry