How to Enjoy God’s Best in the Seasons of Marriage

Posted on Jun 21, 2016 Topic : Inspirational/Devotional, Men's Christian Living, Women's Christian Living

If your marriage is to survive and flourish both now and in the future, you must continue to make corrections and adapt to the seasons of marriage as you go through them. Let’s look now at those four main seasons…

1. The season of marriage without or before children

This season is characterized by plenty of freedom for a couple to do whatever they want, whenever they want to do it. If you are in this season, of course you have certain restraints, but being without children gives you time to perfect your teamwork, your ability to communicate, your intimacy, and your continued spiritual growth—which is what will help carry you through every season of your marriage.

2. The season of marriage with children at home

With children present in your home, you’ll need to make adjustments, for if you don’t, then the wheels can begin to fall off your marriage. For instance, you might get overly focused on tending your career, and inadvertently neglect your relationships with your family. Or you could end up devoting so much time to raising your children that you neglect spending time with the Lord. The important thing to remember is balance in this season.

3. The season of the empty nest

This is the most critical season for a marriage. Why? Because if in the previous seasons of your marriage you have neglected or ignored the things that really matter, your relationship will be in jeopardy or need some patching and repair work.

If you’ve come to realize you have neglected your priorities, be encouraged! Recognizing the problem is the first step to remedying it. Acknowledge your sin to God and ask Him for His wisdom as you begin the work of rebuilding or strengthening your marriage. Then go to your spouse and ask for forgiveness—and be willing to go the distance to make your marriage all that it should be.

4. The season of declining health

It is during this season that your past efforts will pay off and sustain your relationship as together you face death and dying and the promise and hope of entering into the presence of the Lord in glory.

As the patriarch or matriarch of your family, your focus on the Lord will give you the credibility to offer advice to any family member who seeks your wisdom. If you have been faithful to cultivate good relationship habits, you and your spouse will have created a model of what a godly marriage looks like—a priceless legacy to pass on to all members of your family.

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Look at where you are in your marriage today. God has given you His Word, the Bible. Perhaps He has also given you godly parents and godly role models at your church. And He has given you books and other tools to assist you.

You have the resources. Now God is asking you to use those resources to serve Him and your spouse, thus fulfilling your God-given role as a husband or wife after God’s own heart.