These next three posts cover 9 key aspects of building a strong marriage partnership, which is indispensable to building a Strong Home and family. Here we consider the first three:
SHARING STRENGTHS IN PARTNERSHIP
Often couples are more at odds than experiencing agreement. God helped us to overcome this over many years of trial and error, but the bottom line is that we decided there was enough trouble from the outside that we didn’t need to make our own trouble on the inside. This led us progressively to work together to maximize our strengths and minimize our weaknesses. As we learned to rely on each other’s strengths we became better partners. Amazingly simple, right?
FAMILY OF ORIGIN
As we touched on earlier, if we can take the strengths from each of our families and leave behind or minimize weaknesses from both family systems, we are more likely to turn liabilities into assets – and visa versa. This literally takes years to work out, but provides a strengthening trajectory when given appropriate attention.
COMMUNICATION
Say what you mean and mean what you say – and always consider the recipient of your communications. Good words strengthen the soul, even if they are difficult to say or hear. A couple who are adept at communicating open up rivers of possibility.
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” – Philippians 2:3-4
Your conversation guide (with an extra sheet thrown in regarding EMPATHY)