How are you keeping tabs on your Marriage?
Mama always said if you can’t say anything nice…
A story originally reported by the New York post revealed that a man in New Mexico who was allegedly beating his girlfriend discovered there were never truer words.
So the couple was house sitting. In the middle of a dispute the man asked his girlfriend, “Did you call the sheriff?”
Little did he know an Amazon Alexa device was nearby.
When his question was recognized as a command, the local authorities were notified.
Admittedly, some of the things technology can do for us borders on a bit creepy. But this principle is true: You need to have something in place to identify red flags in your relationship with your spouse.
Maybe an Amazon Alexa won’t do this for your marriage. But there ought to be some way you and your spouse take regular inventory so you know what’s happening between the two of you.
So often we get engaged in the business of our lives and don’t hold up high standards when it comes to the way we treat our spouse. When our guard is down, the stressors on marriage may go up.
And if we’re not paying attention, selfishness creeps in a bit. We get off course and onto our own program, forgetting about our spouse.
Red flag!
That’s why we suggest couples think about these things:
- Have a regular getaway with your spouse to focus solely on your marriage. At least annually but maybe even more often, you might try taking a weekend away for a “State of our Marriage” retreat. You could reflect together on the events of the past year and the impact on your marriage. You might talk about what you want to tackle as a couple in the months to come.
- Communicate with your spouse every day. That once a year retreat should be the capstone of regular give and take between you and your spouse. If you’re too busy to have conversation every day, you’re too busy. How effectively will your business run today if you don’t have important conversations? Do you expect your marriage to survive without communication? Do you need to take on fewer activities so you can spend more time together as a couple? as a family?
- Stay informed and encouraged with continuing education. If lawyers, doctors, and teachers have to keep learning to stay good at their jobs, why shouldn’t couples? Read blogs and books about marriage. Check out our free download:
54 Marriage Champions Who Want to Strengthen Your Relationship
Take a marriage class like our Dynamic Marriage or United. If one’s not available at your church or in your community find out how to get one there.
In addition to remembering these things, you might want to watch what you say around Alexa.
What are specific ways you keep tabs on the health of your marriage? Comment below.
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