Desire God’s best for your spouse
You must desire change for your spouse not simply for yourself, but for their benefit. You should desire that your spouse grow closer with the Lord not so that your life will be easier, but so that their life will prove more abundant. Your job is to desire God’s best for your spouse, not desire how God can make the relationship best for you.
Even in the Good Times, Pray for Your Marriage
By all means, pray for your marriage. Pray without ceasing. Just understand that while God does want to please you and answer your prayers, that He wants most for your heart to be right. He honors selfless prayer. He honors marriage. He honors growing His relationship with you and your spouse collectively while also strengthening the bonds of marriage.
So in essence God can change hearts, and He can turn your spouse’s heart towards Him, and in that change them. But He’s not simply changing them for you. Understand that.
The good news is that while God may not do these three things in your marriage, there’s plenty of great things that He can do! When hope seems lost, Christ can. When your marriage seems to be failing, God can heal it. Keep your eyes on Him, trust in His promises, and align your personal walk to one that honors both Him and your marriage.
*In this post I write mostly from a wife’s point of view. This isn’t to say the husband is the only party ever who is far from the Lord, or that only wives cheat. I wrote from the gender perspective most comfortable to me. My own. The situations are interchangeable. Also this friendly advice is meant for general purpose only. I cannot speak to spousal abuse issues, nor am I a certified marriage counselor. I’m just a woman who loves her husband and Jesus, and likes to share about both.
