Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. John 8:32
How is it within your own marriage - do you speak the truth in love to one another(?) because if not, you won't fulfill your responsibility to grow toward that ultimate marriage with true happiness involved. Many marriages get stuck and stay in a rut for years because one of you is unwilling to face up to some serious personal problem. Here are a few that this could include: a temper, chronic depression (sadly something many do not know how to help with), sexual dysfunction, or an unwillingness to communicate. If the truth be known, lack of communication is one of the biggest problems within a marriage. By ignoring problems or refusing to face them and not being willing to deal with something you feel you are right about and, or don't understand, only brings frustrations and anger deeper within your borders. Ignoring such problems or refusing to deal with them is the opposite of the responsibility to grow in your marriage. This shows evidence of the lack of care you have towards one another, and most definitely shows the lack of trust you have in God who is always there hoping you will call upon Him for a solution. The purpose of living your lives together is to learn to grow in love. Marriage is, and can be an ideal framework within which that can happen. It is in marriage that you begin to develop yourself as the whole person God wants you to be. Your love for one another should, then, manifest itself in concern, not only for your own development, but for the well being of your spouse. Don't limit the potential of your marriage by an unwillingness to deal with serious issues. When you do that your marital relationship will always be much less than what God wants it to be. Your marriage won't grow without acknowledging and admitting there are problems internally. Miraculously God is there to help you. He is the God of love, the inventor of love, and has great compassion for you and your spouse to be eternally happy while you live here on earth. Be determined to be committed to an ever-deepening bond of love that will keep your marriage moving in a positive direction and on the growing edge of a beautiful marriage (made in heaven). If you by faith trust in God you'll experience the growing edge of love you'll have over other marriages because you have turned your life into the hands of God for help. It really does work that way. Sherry