Monday's Marriage Moment -- 5 Wisdom Keys!

Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.
Proverbs 4:7

Our marriages face all sorts of challenges. Some of those challenges are huge and may seem insurmountable. Some of them are not as daunting. Many of them could be minimized if we would employ practical wisdom. So, today, I simply want to share with you practical wisdom I have learned (sometimes the hard way) over the years of my marriage. Here are 5 tips that can help every marriage.

1. Some things are better left unsaid.  We do not have to vent every emotion. We do not have to be right all the time. There are going to be times in marriage that you have to think things and not say them. Now, I am not talking about hiding all of your feelings or suffering in silence if you are in a dangerous situation (if that is the case I urge you to seek appropriate help).
2. Timing is everything. Perhaps unloading all of your emotions on your spouse the minute they walk in the door from work is not the perfect time. Maybe trying to have a serious and important conversation while your husband is watching the playoffs or your wife is watching her favorite show is not the best idea.Be sensitive to the timing of your discussions will produce better results.
3. Watch your words. Once something has been said it really can't be taken back. The old adage that sticks and stones can break our bones, but words can never hurt you is a complete and total lie. Words hurt. Words scar. Words cause damage. So, we need to be careful what we say to our spouse and what we say about our spouse. We must be careful to uplift them and not demean them to other people. **We should never talk down about our spouse to our children. This does damage to both the spouse and them**
4. Forgive as quickly as possible. We all know that we need to forgive people, but I have learned that we need to do it quickly. If we don't address issues they begin to fester in our hearts, and we can become bitter and resentful. Before you know it, you are harboring resentment from 10 or 15 years ago. Everything starts being filtered through the lens of past hurts. We must work towards forgiveness, and we must do so expeditiously.
5. Seek forgiveness as quickly as possible. It is often easy for us to focus on what others have done to us, but we may not own our part as quickly as we should. If you know that you have offended or wronged your spouse ask for forgiveness. Own your actions or words and humbly request forgiveness so that your spouse doesn't begin to feel that the relationship is one-sided.

Seek wisdom this week!