But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this. 1 Corinthians 7:28
When I got married, I wasn’t thinking about the hardships we may face. I was naive and just assumed we would live happily ever after. The scripture above says, “those who marry will face troubles.” How do you like that for an opening motivational statement? Yikes! Stick with me as we dive deeper into what this means.
We have to understand that we are going to have hardships in our marriage. There will be days that you may question your restoration because you are in a season of difficulty. As a couple with a restored marriage, you know what the other side looks like. You know what it looks like when one spouse gives up.
Stick with it!
Did you go through pre-marital counseling when you first married? I did, and it was very beneficial. I have said many times that I think couples who are reconciling should have pre-marital counseling again.
You need to be prepared. This type of counseling helps you discuss important topics ahead of time, go over expectations, and make decisions before they become an issue.
Since we live in South Florida, we have the luxury of preparing ahead of time when a hurricane is coming. Not every natural disaster provides prep time. We know that hurricane season is from June to November, and we know the supplies we should have on hand and how to be prepared for any impending storms.
We recently had a terrible thunderstorm overnight. Our neighbor’s tree was struck by lightning and fell on top of the power line knocking out power to our street. Had we been prepared, we could have pulled out our hurricane box, fired up the battery-operated fans, or used the LED lantern to get ready for work. Instead, we were unprepared. We felt like we had been through enough storms just to gather our supplies when and if we needed them. Big mistake!
Don’t wait for the storm to hit your marriage again. Be prepared.
There are going to be difficult days. What preparations can you put in place today to help when the hard times come?
Do you feel like your spouse doesn’t help enough with the kids? Prepare by talking about your frustration and making a plan, so he knows how to help.
Does your wife’s phone addiction drive you crazy? Prepare by discussing it with her. Can you have a set time of the evening where the phones get put in the other room?
Is your spouse dealing with an addiction? Prepare by talking together about the struggle and making a plan to get help.
I don’t know what the hardship will be that you will face, but I can guarantee it will come. A marriage is made up of two fallen people, so there is bound to be conflict. The enemy will always show you that reconciliation was a bad idea and try to discourage you into thinking your marriage is hopeless.
There is always hope!
Be prepared, so you are ready to handle the hard times when they come. You have walked through restoration, don’t give up now!
Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Psalm 62:1-2
God bless,
