The Hope QuotientSample

It’s pretty simple—marriages grow from attention and suffer from neglect. A pastor gave me three words that summarize what the Bible teaches about marriage: fun, faith, and faithfulness.

First, play together. If you play together, your marriage will be fun. Life will make you uptight, so make laughter the number one sound in your home. Keep dating. Get out of town. Plan vacations. Get hobbies. Goof off. Fun is a great atmosphere to have in a home. Kids will love it. Your faith and values will be far more attractive to the world and to your own kids when they see you actually enjoying God and life.

Second, pray together. If you pray together, you will build your faith. The closer you grow to God, the closer you will grow toward each other. Get connected to God, to a thriving church, to God’s Word. What difference does it make? When you are forgiven by God, you will have the grace to give each other. When you receive encouragement from God, you have hope to give each other. When you receive power from God, you have the strength to give each other. God-connected people have resources flowing into their homes that other people only dream of.

Third, stay together. Make a lasting commitment to each other. If you stay together, you will create faithfulness.

When a couple hits the wall, they break down, break up, or breakthrough. People without hope say, “Nothing’s going to work, so why even try?” When you become a person of hope, you are convinced that God has better days ahead, and that you can become the one who breaks through. 

Anyone’s marriage can reflect their faith, not their background. You can beat the odds. Any couple can beat the odds. When you partner with hope, that strong and vibrant family tree can start with you. Just don’t give up.

Think Up:

Start with just praying together for five minutes each morning or evening. You can do it.

Do you want a burst of hope to infuse life and health throughout your marriage, regardless of your past and no matter your current circumstances? You have to go after it. (Read on).