There’s a lot of good advice out there on ways to strengthen your marriage but could it be that they all boil down to one principle? With the US divorce rate hovering somewhere around 50 percent…and even higher for subsequent marriages, looking for ways to protect your marriage is a worthy pursuit. Take a look around the internet and you’ll have no trouble finding suggestions on making your marriage stronger.
- Crosswalk.com has 24 ideas on everyday actions that can help….like “Start the day with a kiss”, “Be gentle”, and “Talk about your dreams.”
- Lifeway.com has a list of 10 ingredients such as “Understand the need for time together” and conversely, “Negotiate time apart.”
- Meanwhile blogger Dave Willis, admits there millions of ways to improve your marriage, came up with a list of 21 that are mostly intimate and include “Argue less and cuddle more.”
All good ideas. But it may be that the main component to creating a successful marriage comes down to one word: “Sacrifice.” Author Lori Lowe, writing on the website Marriage Love Builders, says “sacrifice” will not only help your marriage survive….but to also thrive. She tells of a couple involved in missions work who were impressed by the people they met who were exceedingly happy despite their extreme levels of poverty. They understood that joy does not come from things. Instead, they find joy from being generous and sacrificial to others.
We spoke with Julaine Appling, president of Wisconsin Family Council on today’s program and got her perspective. Listen for the full interview.