Monday's Marriage Moment - It's Time for a Tune Up!

Be diligent to know the state of your flocks,
And attend to your herds
Proverbs 23:27

No one waits until their car breaks down to get a tune up. Actually, at that point it is too late. Most of us understand that if we want our car to perform at optimum capacity we need regular maintenance. We can't simply put gas in the car and expect it to run forever. We must have the oil changed, spark plugs replaced, and tires rotated. We need regular maintenance to ensure that our cars run smoothly and effectively for a long time.

In the same way, we schedule regular check-ups with the doctor. We typically go every six months simply to have our blood pressure checked or have our glucose or iron levels monitored. The doctor uses his stethoscope to check our heart rate and monitor our breathing. We don't have these visits because something is wrong. We schedule these visits to prevent something from going wrong and catch any problems that may be present, but not obvious, before they become something major.

If we have our cars tuned up, and we have check-ups to maintain our health, why is it so foreign to have regular check-ups for our marriage? Why is it that we don't look into preventative maintenance to ensure that our marriages our running smoothly? We think that attending a marriage conference or seminar is indicative of a problem in our marriage when really it is a tune-up! We think that our marriage is going to thrive as we go about our normal routines and rituals when it actuality it is doing the opposite - becoming mundane and lifeless. Just like you can't maintain a car by only putting gas in it you can't maintain a marriage with rituals and routines.

Our bodies and cars experience normal wear and tear. It's just the way life its. If we want to get the most out of them we are going to need to check on them every now and then. Your marriage is no different. When is the last time you and your spouse checked in with each other to see how things were going? When is the last time you check in to see if you both were happy or satisfied with your communication? your love life? your finances? Have you put these things on auto-pilot? If so, I encourage you to schedule a tune - up. Maybe you need a date night, a vacation, or something spontaneous and exciting.

Take some time this week to check in for a check up with your spouse. You may find that like my older Expedition your "service engine soon" light is on. No worries! All you need is a tune up! Schedule it immediately!