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March 7, 2016
Malinda wields truth and grace on her blog
and has also contributed for Thrive Moms and The Influence Network.
Malinda and her husband reside in SoCal where they are homeschooling,
working in ministry... Read More
In
today’s world, so many fingers point to “the number one marriage
killer.” Some are quick to attack technology while others blame children
or infertility as the cause. Experts cite pornography, work stress and
financial problems as the top reasons why so many couples choose
divorce.
But, in reality, marriages aren’t failing because of any of those reasons. The number one marriage killer is us. Here are four ways we may be destroying our marriages:
We don’t want to commit to a year of therapy, regular date nights or reading all 31 chapters of the book. We expect our spouse to change, to do the hard work, to make the sacrifice. We desire a thriving marriage without the work. Sadly, we prefer the life of ease over effort.
We dream that our spouse will drop 20 pounds, become a gourmet chef,
find a better job, make more money, anticipate our every need, and read
our mind in the bedroom—yesterday. If there are hurts in the
relationship, we demand immediate change instead of embracing the
process. But all of our expectations actually sabotage any sincere
effort because they are both ridiculous and unattainable. Instead of
slow and steady we expect fast and flawless.
We never discuss the tough things, like porn or money problems. Instead, we whisper our feelings once a year, on Valentine's Day, over dinner and cheap wine, because that’s what you’re supposed to do. We are convinced that if we reveal what’s really bothering us, we will end in an explosive argument. So we endure instead of engaging one another, burying our concerns deeper and deeper.
Admitting marital problems is even more terrifying if we ourselves are children of divorced parents. There is also the dread of ruining our kids’ lives with the truth that “mommy and daddy are having problems.” So we plod along, raising children, vacationing and running successful businesses in what appears to be an amazing life. But the truth is, we are silently killing our marriage in our people pleasing.
So what can we do? How do we keep from thwarting the thing we committed to “until death do us part”?
We try.
We get back in the game, realizing there will be hard work ahead. We stop taking each other for granted, showing our spouses we love and cherish them instead of assuming they already know. We close our mouths when it’s easy to blame and instead shower them with kindness and respect. We touch—we hold hands and give back rubs and recall the fun in flirting and dating.
But, in reality, marriages aren’t failing because of any of those reasons. The number one marriage killer is us. Here are four ways we may be destroying our marriages:
We Embrace the Bare Minimum
We watch the movie instead of reading the book. We agree to a single session with the counselor and select the one-day seminar, hoping the easy way will revitalize our marriages. But a week later when we are back in the grind, we demand the money-back guarantee because the change didn’t happen overnight.We don’t want to commit to a year of therapy, regular date nights or reading all 31 chapters of the book. We expect our spouse to change, to do the hard work, to make the sacrifice. We desire a thriving marriage without the work. Sadly, we prefer the life of ease over effort.
We Are Impatient
We require everything microwaved, instant and delivered overnight. If there was an Amazon NOW for relationships, we would download it, because we don’t want to wait for anything.
We expect our spouse to change, to do the hard work, to make the sacrifice. We desire a thriving marriage without the work.
We Fear Conflict
We prefer distraction over conversation. When there is potential for a meaningful exchange, we steer it in the other direction because we don’t want to risk vulnerability.We never discuss the tough things, like porn or money problems. Instead, we whisper our feelings once a year, on Valentine's Day, over dinner and cheap wine, because that’s what you’re supposed to do. We are convinced that if we reveal what’s really bothering us, we will end in an explosive argument. So we endure instead of engaging one another, burying our concerns deeper and deeper.
We Don’t Like to Admit Weakness
We are prideful. We hate to disappoint people, and we cringe to think of them muttering “I told you so” about the guy they labeled a loser or the girl they begged us to “get to know better” before rushing to get married.Admitting marital problems is even more terrifying if we ourselves are children of divorced parents. There is also the dread of ruining our kids’ lives with the truth that “mommy and daddy are having problems.” So we plod along, raising children, vacationing and running successful businesses in what appears to be an amazing life. But the truth is, we are silently killing our marriage in our people pleasing.
So what can we do? How do we keep from thwarting the thing we committed to “until death do us part”?
We try.
We get back in the game, realizing there will be hard work ahead. We stop taking each other for granted, showing our spouses we love and cherish them instead of assuming they already know. We close our mouths when it’s easy to blame and instead shower them with kindness and respect. We touch—we hold hands and give back rubs and recall the fun in flirting and dating.
Read more at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/relationships/problem-your-marriage-isnt-what-you-think#65sMyvc3dbV53lB6.99
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