So You Want to Get Married

The following was given by Ryan Whitley, Pastor in Trussville, AL this week. Good advice.

You’ve purchased your rings. Your date has been set. Your pastor has agreed to conduct your ceremony. And your invitations are in the mail.

Here are ten things you DON’T want to do in your marriage.

#1 Don’t quit.

Marriage is tough. To make your marriage work, you must be tenacious. Couples quit too soon or too often. Hang in there. Stick it out. Don’t ever give up.

#2 Don’t go to bed angry.

Your bed is not the place to argue, and neither is it the place to hold hurt feelings. Work it out. Talk it over. Settle the issue before going to bed.

#3 Don’t nag.

A sure way to ruin your marriage is to point out everything your spouse does wrong. Nag, nag, nag and you will kill, kill, kill your marriage.

#4 Don’t whine or complain.

Life is tough. Marriage demands effort. Don’t complicate matters by whining or complaining about every little thing.

#5 Don’t quit dating.

If you really want your marriage to thrive, keep dating. Plan a date night every week. Keep chasing one another just like you did before you were married.

#6 Don’t keep score.

The point system may work in athletic completion, but it stinks in a marriage. Don’t keep a tally of your spouse’s rights or wrongs.

#7 Don’t spend more than you make.

Don’t fall for the fallacy that says you deserve the best just because you are married. Save your money. Stay out of debt. Be generous. Live within your means.

#8 Don’t compare.

Don’t compare your spouse to someone else. Don’t compare your marriage to someone else’s marriage. And please don’t compare your spouse to their parents. If you want a healthy marriage, don’t compare.

#9 Don’t leave.

Leaving, moving out, or separating accomplishes nothing more than a deeper divide. Stay home and work out your problems.

#10 Don’t get lazy.

Find a way to keep serving one another. Discover ways to help one another. In a marriage it takes teamwork to make the marriage work.