We have heard of so many definitions of the family but What is a family according to God in the bible?
Here we will show you the basics of a happy marriage. Many times we get carried away by what movies and TV shows tell us and expect perfection that does not exist.
This has caused countless divorces, however, God gives us the tools to avoid it, and in a moment we will know them.
11 Characteristics of a happy marriage
God has not promised us that we will never have to experience difficulties in marriage, but we can improve with His help. These keys are not the only tools you have to build your marriage.
But they will serve as a good introduction to help you on your way to a truly enjoyable and happy marriage:
1. Respect and Acceptance
In essence, respecting your spouse is valuing and holding them in high regard.
This means validating their opinions, even when they go against your own.
Ephesians 5:33 says, “Let each one of you love her wife as himself, and let the wife respect her husband.”
To love your spouse as you love yourself is to value both their feelings and their opinions in the same way that you value your own. (And we all value our own feelings and opinions.)
Don’t ignore what he shares with you. Don’t get frustrated or angry if he does or says something you don’t like; be patient and listen.
Many of us try to conform our spouses to our image because we forget that they were made in the image of God and are meant to be conformed to the image of Christ.
We forget that we are made and meant to complement each other rather than duplicate each other. If we were identical, we would not grow much.
God unites opposites, or two unique individuals together so that they both can become a more complete person than they would be on their own.
2. Support
It may seem counterintuitive to many people, but being happy in marriage requires letting go of focusing on ourselves.
When you are selfless and focus on meeting your spouse’s needs instead of working to get what you want, you will often find that your spouse is more than willing to reciprocate.
Proverbs 11:25 says, “He who brings blessing will be rich, and he who waters himself will be watered.”
Support takes many forms.
The simplest and often most necessary form of support is verbal encouragement and affirmation. This goes back to respect.
If you value your spouse, you will value his or her hopes, dreams, trust, and sense of security. You will put their needs before your own. Philippians 2:3 says:
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but humbly consider others more important than yourself.
3. Removal
Get rid of porn. Porn can be found anywhere you choose to look for it: on the Internet, on cable channels, in a magazine, or in the wild of your imagination.
If this factor has become a part of your life to any degree and in any way, it must be eradicated.
If you have to disconnect your Internet and cable service due to a lack of self-control or you need to avoid stopping at places that sell pornographic material, do it!
Many times you must be able to fight against yourself to get rid of what is hurting your marriage and your relationship with God.
4. Esteem
When we talk about cherishing your marriage, we are really guiding you to love your wife.
You cannot, with integrity, say that you value your marriage highly and at the same time disrespect or mistreat your life partner. It is not enough to say “I appreciate my wife”; you must prove it.
Let us give you some examples of things you should never do if you want to put your actions behind your words:
- You must never, under any circumstances, physically abuse your spouse.
- You should not emotionally abuse your life partner.
- Never verbally abuse the woman or man who shares with you.
5. Sensitivity
First, he tells us that we should love our wives. Although this word is not common in everyday conversations, we can put it into practice if we take our companions into account and take care of them with love.
By loving our wives, we will see them as precious jewels, and, in turn, we will act with compassion and sensitivity towards them.
6. Exemplification
Marriage exemplifies many unique and wonderful attributes. Godly marriage can exhibit unity, resilience, wholeness, joy, and happiness. It can provide security, promise, and a sense of belonging.
And most importantly, it exemplifies God’s blessing. Your Creator wishes to bless your institution: marriage.
He wants to use your marriage union to display his perfection and wisdom in creating men and women as distinct beings for ordained purposes.
7. Empathy
Empathy is the sixth of the foundations of a happy marriage. This requires that thought and consideration take place before action.
Before acting on impulse, it is necessary to consider the feelings of our spouse. It is important that you ask yourself the following questions:
- How would my spouse feel if they found out I did this?
- Would this action be healthy or beneficial for my spouse and my marriage?
Think of how many flirtations, bad decisions, and bad investments could be avoided if we took the time to think about how our wives or husbands would feel.
Checkout:
- 20 Bible verses about family unity and peace
- Bible verses for a Christian family
- 22 Prayers for Protection and Family Safety
8. Lighting
There are times when the attack we feel is supernatural. But how do we recognize when it is Satan or a mere dispute with our spouse?
This is where lighting is essential. False beliefs often cloud our thoughts. They can come as strong suggestions, such as “You really aren’t satisfied in this relationship,” “Your spouse just isn’t there for you,” and so on.
How many men and women begin their path of sin with the slow burn of discontent?
From there, we’re more than happy to feed the flame while accepting either the devil’s whispers of “something better” or his equally seductive lies about not being “good enough” for a full and healthy life.
So whether our ego is inflated or our self-esteem trampled, we are primed for the power of Satan to influence us.
So, we must not get carried away by these contradictory voices; it is necessary to resort to God who is the one who has the true solution to our problem.
9. Courtesy
While women like intimacy to be nurtured throughout the day with small signs of affection and close connections in conversation and association, men don’t rely as much on hoarding affection.
They see their wives looking good, and they are happy about it and ready for action!
The fact of saying “I want! Or I like you!” It’s not the best strategy to get your wife to think about being intimate with you.
Therefore, sexual limits or courtesies are essential. You may know them, but let’s explore a bit:
- Never demand or try to force your wife to do something sexual that she is uncomfortable with.
- Do not allow anything unnatural to enter the intimate realm of your life.
- Show your wife considerate and loving actions along with tender expressions of your love for her intimacy. You will discover that she will also enjoy this moment, and therefore, you will have a greater reward from her in the act.
- If you want romance to prevail, don’t be beastly.
- Keep your sex life private. Many times the opinions of others can spoil everything.
10. Resistance
A strong marriage, a lasting marriage, is a great legacy for your children. When they see the quality of perseverance in their parents’ relationship, they understand that they too can persevere through life’s trials.
They quickly see how kindness, compassion, and grace are healthy responses that enable husbands, wives, and families to overcome misunderstandings, disagreements, and character flaws.
11. Self-examination
What happens when we examine ourselves? Well, the first thing that happens is that we begin to take responsibility for our own actions.
The process of taking responsibility opens us to repentance, change, and spiritual growth.
As repentance occurs, we free ourselves from bad attitudes, bad habits, and fears. This causes spiritual growth, which brings God’s blessing to our lives and, subsequently, to our marriages.
The essentials of self-examination cannot be ignored. So don’t give helpful suggestions to your spouse; Instead, pray and ask God to place in you the things that are pleasing in his sight. Then stand back and prepare to be blessed in extraordinary ways!
Marriage will never prosper in a self-centered environment. It is impossible for it to prosper without mutual respect and support. But when you build your union on biblical foundations and apply these foundations of a happy marriage, you’ll discover that it’s possible to have a pleasurable union.
The simple formula is to love your spouse more than yourself. Respect him, support him and listen to him. And then enjoy a new married life!
