This post is a summary from our Your Marriage Can Thrive sermon series.

Regardless of the past or what stage your marriage is currently in…your marriage can THRIVE! But a thriving marriage will require…

Two good forgivers
Accepting one another’s faults
Spiritual oneness

Here are some KEY POINTS we discovered:

For our marriages to thrive we must focus on the things that lead to a thriving marriage. We must play to win instead of trying to prevent losing by executing a winning game plan.
If you are married, you cannot prevent hurting your spouse and vice versa. Thriving couples know this, and they have a game plan for continuing to have a thriving marriage through it and after it.
You forgive for one primary reason…because you have been forgiven. “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)
You can act any way you want if you want if you want a marriage that survives, but to establish a thriving marriage that is built on friendship, you need two people who accept each other’s faults.
“Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” (Colossians 3:13)
There is a hope and a future for you and your marriage. It’s probably not how you planned it to be or how you thought it would be. It can be something greater! God has a bigger plan than your reality today.
God’s purpose for us as individuals is to be in an intimate relationship with Him that brings Him glory by accomplishing His will and His work.
God unites two to become spiritually one, through marriage, for more of His will to be done.
“That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24)
Spiritual oneness is a husband and wife committed to 1) Faith in Jesus together and 2) Following Jesus together by a) yielding to His authority together, b) pursuing to obey His Word together, and c) accomplishing His will and work together

QUESTIONS to ask yourself:

What do you need to forgive you spouse for?
What’s the first step you need to take for that process to begin?
Do you accept your spouse’s faults the same way Christ accepts them?
Do you display humility, gentleness, and patience with your spouse?
In regards to your own marriage, do you focus more on our needs, what you aren’t getting, and how you’ve been hurt or what you are lacking in offering to your spouse?
What step can you take together to begin creating spiritual oneness in your marriage?

NEXT STEPS

How do I practically begin the process of forgiving my spouse?

IDENTIFY how you’ve been hurt and how it has affected you
CONFESS to Christ the hurt and pain you’ve experienced…invite Jesus in to heal you
DECLARE forgiveness

Consider the faults that God continues to work on in you but that do not hinder His love, compassion, grace, and mercy from being offered to you. It is out of this awesome love of Christ that we can, not only accept the brokenness of our spouse, but also find hope of experiencing a thriving marriage of mutual forgiveness and encouragement. Take this one step further and share this list with your spouse. After sharing how God has accepted you, offer acceptance to your spouse as a response.

How can you begin to create and strengthen spiritual oneness in your marriage?

Seek to know God’s Word together
Commit to read yourself regularly
As you learn, share it with spouse
Join a Relevant group together
Pray together
Start by (1) sharing 1 sentence prayer before bed, (2) asking spouse what they need prayer for then praying, (3) praying for someone together
Commit to worship together
Create spiritual experiences together
We have resources and leaders that will help you—not just survive in your marriage—but thrive! No matter the stage of your marriage, we want to help you cultivate a great marriage. Check out our Couples page for more information.

Marriage is one of the hardest things you’ll ever do. Having a thriving marriage won’t happen by accident. It will take an immense amount of time, forgiveness, acceptance, and intentionality. It will cost you everything, but you can have a thriving marriage…and it is WORTH it!