How to Have a Sucessful Marriage

up and leave the nest – (at least we hope so). And when they move out what you will be left with is each other. Keep the home fires burning – keep building on the relationship you have with each other and the way you do this is by setting boundaries with your friends and relatives. The number one relationship you are to have is with your spouse keep it sacred.

2. To have a successful marriage make a deep COMMITMENT.

Look at Matthew 19 with me.

He… said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ’made them male and female,’ and said, ’For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." Matthew 19:4-6 (NKJV)

Look at that last part of the passage again with me. “what God has joined together, let not man separate.” Did you know that keeping a marriage together takes work? How many of you have ever had an argument? How many of you have ever had a fight? How many of you have ever gone through some rough times in your marriage? Folks when you are going through those times you are going to have all kinds of friends and family members tell you just to go and get a divorce. Get out – give it up. Now I know that some marriages will end in a divorce that’s a fact. But I also know that some people give up on their marriage without trying to keep it together. Folks try as hard as you can to keep your marriage together. Anything worth having is worth fighting for. Fight for your marriage. Work at making it better. Don’t give up.

Date! Yes date each other. I don’t know how long you have been married – but even if you have been married five days or fifty years continue to go out on dates. A date may be eating dinner out – going for walks – going to a movie or even sitting down and watching a movie together at home. Keep on building the marriage relationship. Keep on building your commitment to your spouse.

And when you have an argument don’t use the “D” word. You know what I’m talking about. Divorce! Sometimes we use that word as a threat don’t we? Folks I have a better way that you can threaten your spouse – just tell them that they are stuck with you forever. Telling your spouse you’re not going anywhere. Tell them that you’re going to be there for them the rest of their lives. Say – “I am committed to you. We made an agreement and I’m sticking with. When I said ‘I do’ that means that ‘I will.’ I’m not giving up.”

“what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

3. To have a successful marriage fulfill your RESPONSIBILITIES.

Look at 1 Timothy with me.

Now if anyone does not provide for his own relatives, and especially for his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 1 Timothy 5:8 (HCSB)

Folks God expects you to take care of your family. He expects husbands to take care of their wives and wives are to care for their husbands. What are you to take care of? You are to take care of three basic needs of your spouse.

Take care of their PHYSICAL needs.
Take care of their EMOTIONAL needs.
Take care of their SPIRITUAL needs.

Physical needs – you know what they are. Food, clothing, shelter, transportation. It’s up to you as a couple to figure out how