Geez...what did marriage ever do to the culture????

Can one person change the perception of marriage???

If you’ve had a conversation with me lately you have probably picked up on my disdain for the way the culture views marriage. Almost every movie or show we see depicts marriage as a dull, droning, monotonous life that is really just a slow death. In every comedy or sitcom the husband is a bumbling spineless clueless goof who can’t get things right to save his life, and the wife is a nagging irritated bully that takes cheap shots at her husband every time he speaks. In almost every drama the married couple is bored, unsatisfied, and discontented. Incessantly longing and looking for the greener grass. Marriage, in both the comedy and drama, equals a sexless, communication deficient merger. There is never any deliberate effort taken to cultivate and encourage the relationship. Then dissatisfaction, frustration, and disappointment set in. At this point husbands begin to seek out "approval and validation" and the wives set out in search of "passion and happiness." Please don’t misunderstand my issue. The shows that utilize these formulas, in and of themselves, aren’t bad. They tend to be pretty entertaining for the most part. The problems arise when our reality begins to merge with what is made-up, and our lives begin to replicate these fictional story lines. When this happens our kids no longer have a genuine model of what a healthy and happy marriage/relationship even looks like.

• How can we expect our sons and daughters to look forward to being married?
• How can they know what a great marriage looks like when the adults in their lives can’t properly identify it, let alone live it out in their everyday lives?

So what are some practical and constructive things that we all can implement into our everyday lives to further my mission to change the perception of marriage?

1. Know Love. You can’t give love unless you understand it, and you can’t fully understand it until you recognize and comprehend just how much God loves you.

2. Surround yourself with friends who are committed to building up their husbands rather than tearing them down. This may be hard at first but you have to be purposeful.Remember why you married him and focus on the positives.

3. Praise his attributes every chance you get. Especially in front of your kids and your friends.Don’t fake it.

4. Flirt with your husband. It keeps things fun and breaks up any monotony you both may be feeling. It reminds you (and him) of what life was like, in the beginning, when you both were in pursuit of each other. It will affirm your love for your husband and let him know that you would still choose him ;-)

5. Daydream about being alone with your husband. This will help to replace any negative tapes that may be running through your brain. Remember that sex is a gift from God to be celebrated in marriage. It is a physical representation of intimacy. This aspect of your marriage should never be neglected. Meet your husband’s needs and you will cultivate a loyalty and appreciation, and you’ll be surprised how little he cares about the little annoyances that arise.

To be continued :-)