One relationship: preceded the fall of man; preceded the birth of any child; is analogized to the relationship of Christ and His church; is the institution in which a man and a woman experience the mystery of oneness; is ordained as God’s means to have children; and is the foundational relationship of the family.
That relationship is MARRIAGE. Here are 5 ways to fight for your marriage.
5 Ways to Fight for Your Marriage
We shouldn’t be surprised that the institution of marriage has been under perpetual attack. If evil forces can succeed in destroying marriage, they can destroy the family, the church, and the culture. It is akin to taking out the foundation of a house and then watching it crumble.
Unfortunately, it appears that the forces fighting against marriage have fought harder than those fighting for it. Marriage has been marginalized. Divorce has been normalized. We are way overdue for a counter-attack to build up the institution. All couples can join the fight by doing these five things:
1. Pray.
God can do more in a millisecond than we can do in a thousand years. If the family is restored in America, it will be the result of a move of God, not the efforts of man.
2. Care.
Take care of your own marriage. Be a walking advertisement for the institution. Healthy things grow. Unhealthy things slowly die. By strengthening our own marriages, we strengthen the institution as a whole.
3. Advocate.
Be an advocate for marriage. Post positive things about your spouse and marriage on social media. Speak well of your spouse. Speak well of marriage at work and with your friends.
 4. Support.
Make sure your church has a marriage ministry. Encourage your leaders. Support all efforts to exalt marriage in the local church.
 5. Encourage.
Help other marriages. Help couples get counseling. Provide babysitting so young couples can spend time together. Encourage those around you to stick with marriage and invest in it.
Enjoying your spouse is one fun way to fight the evil one. Outside of my relationship with Christ, my marriage brings me more joy than anything in this world. Yes, we have troubles. Yes, we get on each other’s nerves sometimes. And, yes, we are staying together and choosing to spend time with and enjoy one another.
We spend time together and talk both when we like each other and when we don’t. Why? Our marriage is more important than either one of us. Our legacy and the stability of our children largely depend on us doing well in our relationship and staying together.
Marriage is the most important relationship in this world. It just makes sense to invest in it and take care of it. Talk. Listen. Date. Buy gifts. Serve one another. Enjoy one another. Take care of your marriage. Few things will be more expensive and painful for you than if your marriage breaks up. Put time, energy, and financial resources into keeping it together.
Like everything else, marriage takes work and intentionality to survive and grow. Don’t let this busy, crazy world squeeze out your most important earthly relationship.
Grace Marriage Mission
Pick one of the five ways mentioned in this post to work on in the next few days.Â
Brad Rhoads is co-founder of Grace Marriage.