Marriage

Is This Nonbiblical Issue Really the Hill You Want to Die On?

When Two Goodwilled People Disagree in the Gray Areas of Life - Part 2

When Two Goodwilled People Disagree in the Gray Areas of Life - Part 2

In part 1, I made the argument that the vast majority of married couples going into battle with each other over disagreements they have are not doing so over black-and-white issues of morality. Instead, their disagreements—that at times escalate into knock-down, drag-out fights—are typically in the gray areas of life, where neither spouse is wrong, but one is “less right” than the other.

When Two Goodwilled People Disagree in the Gray Areas of Life - Part 1

When Two Goodwilled People Disagree in the Gray Areas of Life - Part 1

In my experience, the vast majority of married couples going into battle with each other over disagreements are not doing so over black-and-white issues of morality. They are not up in arms with each other because one is hoping to hold up the bank together this Friday like Bonnie and Clyde, while the other is trying to convince them that a life of crime is not the answer. One parent is not trying to convince the other that they should train their children as MMA fighters so they can be kings of the playground.

Is This Nonbiblical Issue Really the Hill You Want to Die On?

Is This Nonbiblical Issue Really the Hill You Want to Die On?

Some of us demand that our spouse agree with us because if they don't, they will be sinning. If we say yes to something, we tell them that they, too, must say yes or risk grieving the heart of God. Unless there is a clear violation of Scripture, morality, or the law, our spouse is not inherently wrong when varying with us. We would never say that the color pink is wrong for not being blue. What artist would go on television declaring that blue is innately wrong for not being pink? That's silly.

A Husband with Healthy Self-Love Will Display Such Love Toward His Wife: An Assessment

A Husband with Healthy Self-Love Will Display Such Love Toward His Wife: An Assessment

In Ephesians 5:28, we read, “So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.” Clearly there is a command here for the husband to love his wife—specifically, to agape-love his wife, or love her unconditionally. But does the writer, Paul, give us any tips on how a husband is to love his wife without condition? Yes, it’s right there in the same verse. He is to love his wife “as [his] own body.” He is to love her as he “loves himself.”

Is Selective Exposure Determining How You Judge Your Spouse?

Is Selective Exposure Determining How You Judge Your Spouse?

Have you ever been considering buying a specific new car, and every time you are out in public it seems every other car you pass is the exact one you’ve been thinking about getting? Or maybe you’ve been considering moving to a different neighborhood closer to work and half your mail seems to be from realtors telling you how amazing the market is, and as you drive to work, more For Sale signs and banners for new neighborhoods pop up on every block.

A Husband with Healthy Self-Love Will Display Such Love Toward His Wife: An Assessment

Is Selective Exposure Determining How You Judge Your Spouse?

A Tale of Two Marriages: His and Hers

A Tale of Two Marriages: His and Hers

Over the years researchers have asked identical questions of a husband and wife about identical issues but received two different replies. Why? Because in essence, there are two different marriages going on in every household: his marriage and her marriage. The husband sees an event through his blue lens, and the wife views that same event through her pink lens. Though they are observing the exact same event, their different lenses cause them to process and evaluate it in completely different ways: his blue way and her pink way.

Are You Seeking to Do the Loving, Honorable Thing but Are Being Misunderstood? [Video]

Are You Seeking to Do the Loving, Honorable Thing but Are Being Misunderstood? [Video]

Love and respect are key ingredients for successful marriages, with gender-specific dynamics influencing conflict resolution. Despite intentions of care and honor, misinterpretations often lead to feelings of being disrespected and unloved, highlighting the importance of understanding differing perspectives in relationships.

To Achieve Win-Win, Find a Third Option That Works for Both

To Achieve Win-Win, Find a Third Option That Works for Both

Genesis 2:24 tells us God’s plan for a husband and wife beginning their marriage together: “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” “One flesh,” however, does not mean that once married a man and woman somehow mystically have only one opinion, one preference, one mind, one set of needs. Indeed, they will still have different names they like for their future children, contrasting ideas for where they should take their summer vacation, and differing preferences for the type of church they feel most at home in.

Gnats Versus Camels (What Bugs You?)

Gnats Versus Camels (What Bugs You?)

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others." (Matthew 23:23) When my boys were young, I volunteered to coach their soccer games on Saturday mornings. However, if we lost, I would be discouraged. Why couldn't we do better? I’d go home thinking. Many times, on Saturday afternoon, I even felt a tad depressed over the loss.