My wife and I are on a journey together. After 15 years of marriage, we’ve certainly gone through our fair share of triumphs and struggles. However, vows were made and by the grace of God we’ve been faithful to each other and the Lord.
… for better or for worse
… or richer, for poorer
… in sickness and in health
… to love and to cherish
… from this day forward until death do us part
One lesson I’ve learned through it all is simply this: Stay teachable.
I know that this might sound basic, but it’s only when we get so full of ourselves that we can no longer hear the wisdom of those God has placed in our lives. Thus, we find ourselves in situations without solutions. Dr. Gary Chapman said, “Some people don’t solve arguments because they are more concerned with winning than finding a solution.”
1 Corinthians 13 tells us many things about love. One of them is …
… it does not insist on its own way,”
In order for us to fulfill this verse we need to be teachable. We need to be willing to hear and look for wisdom outside of ourselves. We need to realize that if we want change, we need to change ourselves first.
If you are married or on your way and want to start marriage right, then I want to challenge you to be open to the wisdom of others. Maybe it will come in the shape of pre-marital counseling, the advice of a marriage mentor, friend, pastor, book, conference, blog, or even your spouse. If you stay teachable, I’m confident you will find solutions for your situations.
Recently, my wife shared on the Dancing With the One You Love blog an article about three things she learned over the years that help us have a better marriage. Where did she learn these things? From me—an imperfect, trying-to-be-better-myself husband who doesn’t always get things right. Crazy, huh?!? But fifteen years in the making and we are still together and moving forward.
I am thankful that even in my imperfectness she still sees something of value. And that just makes me love her all the more.
