One of the most prolific human relationships is the marriage relationship.

Ephesians 5:31 (NKJV)FairyTaleWeddingSM12-235x300
“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

God places a tremendous amount of importance on the success of each and every marriage.  The reason a man should leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife is so they can love one another.  This is God’s divine prescription for a heaven-on-earth marriage.  People should get married so they can express agape love one toward on another.  God created the marriage relationship so that agape (proactive and unconditional love) could have a place to flourish.  The phrase, “and the two shall become one flesh,” refers to the husband and wife agreeing to love each other proactively and unconditionally.  Agape love is the fuel by which a heaven-on-earth marriage is sustained and grows.

Here are 3 steps to marital bliss:

1. Don’t take each other for granted.

The people we see the most, day in and day out, are the people that we have a tendency to take for granted the most.  Husbands, treat your wives like a queen and a date every day.  Get the car door for her.  Wives, treat your husband like a king.  Give him an encouraging word every day.  It is the little things in life that count the most.  Make them a continual practice in your marriage.  Use your imagination here, and don’t forget the backbone of all successful Christian marriages, praying together on a regular basis.

2. Work on being fun to live with.

The Amplified Translation of 1 Peter 3:2 says that wives should enjoy their husbands.  How can a wife enjoy a husband who is a bump on a log all the time?  Life should be an exciting adventure, not a hum drum experience.  The key here is to continually work on becoming a more positive, enjoyable person.  Find out what your spouse likes to do and develop the skills (or the patience) so you can enjoy that activity together.  It’s been said that the couple that plays together stays together.

3. Make a love list.

Ask yourself this question: What one thing can I do today to show my spouse that I love them and care about them?  Write that question at the top of a pad of paper and sit down for a few minutes on a regular basis and write down some answers.  Eventually you will accumulate hundreds of things you can do.  Then do one each day.  This will turn any stagnating marriage around.

Here is how the law of reciprocation works in a marriage: The more and more he loves her, the more and more she loves him.  And the more and more and more she loves him, the more and more and more he will love her.  On and on it goes until a volcano of love erupts, which causes the marriage relationship to become the closest thing to heaven on earth.

Expressing agape love toward your spouse will create a heaven-on-earth marriage.  Walking in love proactively and unconditionally are both expressions of the divine nature.  Our CD series, “Expressions of the Divine Nature,” will give you numerous ways to encourage your spouse and guarantee the success of your marriage.  Click here to order