Friendship: The Secret Sauce for a Thriving Marriage!
Friendship is God’s secret sauce for marriage, and we’re all about spilling the tea on that today! Jeff and I, after 34 years of navigating this wild ride called marriage, have learned that your spouse should be your best friend. Yeah, I know—it sounds simple, but trust me, many couples forget to nurture that friendship. We dive into why companionship is crucial, how to keep the laughter alive, and the importance of being each other’s biggest cheerleader. So, grab a snack, kick back, and let’s chat about how to rekindle that spark and make your marriage thrive through friendship! Friendship isn’t just a side gig in marriage; it’s the main event! Jeff and Teresa dive into the divine blueprint that suggests your spouse should be your best buddy. They candidly discuss how many couples, despite sharing a life, can drift into roommate territory, losing that warm, fuzzy friendship vibe. They emphasize that God designed marriage not just for commitment, but for companionship. The conversation explores how laughter, connection, and a sprinkle of romance can reignite that initial spark. Through relatable anecdotes and biblical wisdom, they remind us that friendship is the foundation of a thriving marriage. So grab your partner, sit down, and rediscover the joy of being best friends again!
Takeaways:
- Friendship is God's blueprint for marriage, designed to bring joy and connection between spouses.
- Your spouse should be your best friend, sharing laughter, support, and life experiences together.
- Busyness can quietly steal your friendship if you let it, so prioritize time together.
- Encouragement is key in marriage; uplifting words can restore emotional closeness and strengthen your bond.
Links referenced in this episode:
Transcript
So this week, we want to talk about why friendship is God's design for marriage.
Speaker A:And something that I guess not everyone knows, but most should know this, that God built a secret into marriage.
Speaker A:And that secret is your spouse should be your best friend.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker B:Welcome to Inspiring Marriages with Jeff and Teresa Fields.
Speaker B:Our mission is to help Christian couples strengthen their friendship, grow spiritually together, and experience the marriage that God designed.
Speaker A:Well, we.
Speaker A:We know that every Christian couple, they love each other.
Speaker A:We know that.
Speaker A:But if every Christian couple was really, really honest, they would realize not everyone is really friends anymore.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker A:They can share a house, they can share responsibilities, they can even share church.
Speaker A:But laughter, connection, friendship that once made their marriage joyful somehow slowly faded.
Speaker A:And after 34 years of marriage, Teresa and I have learned something powerful.
Speaker A:God didn't design your marriage to live or survive on just commitment alone.
Speaker A:He designed it to thrive through friendship.
Speaker A:And today, we're going to start out this podcast by talking about why friendship is actually God's blueprint for marriage.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker A:Now, the first thing we want to talk about, Teresa, is that marriage was designed for companionship.
Speaker A:We know that in Genesis 2:18, God said, It is not good for the man to be alone.
Speaker A:And then he caused Adam to go into a deep sleep.
Speaker A:And then he took substance from his side and he fashioned a woman, Eve, and presented her unto him.
Speaker A:And Adam said, at last, bone of my bone, flesh and my flesh, right?
Speaker A:And then Adam said something very profound like, this really shows how brilliant he.
Speaker A:He was, or how much brilliant brilliancy that God had created him with.
Speaker A:He said, for this cause shall man leave his mother and father and be joined, adhere, attached to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker A:This is before even there were mothers and fathers.
Speaker A:But he knew, right?
Speaker A:But he knew this.
Speaker A:So God created Adam and Eve, the man and the woman that they can operate as, as one flesh.
Speaker A:So he didn't create a.
Speaker A:A servant for Adam, Right?
Speaker A:He didn't create a master over Adam?
Speaker B:No, no.
Speaker A:He didn't create a pet.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker A:He created a Help meet.
Speaker A:That's right, that word.
Speaker A:Teresa, tell us a little bit about that word.
Speaker A:Help me.
Speaker B:Well, it's someone designed to walk with you and work with you and be a support for you.
Speaker B:But what's so beautiful is that he was giving Adam someone like himself.
Speaker B:I think that's so beautiful because, you know, Adam was looking around at all these amazing animals that he named.
Speaker B:You know, day after day, he was naming all these amazing animals and creatures that God had Made, but he didn't have someone like himself.
Speaker B:And that's.
Speaker B:God could tell he was missing something.
Speaker B:You know, he looked lonely for someone to communicate with on his own level.
Speaker B:Someone that was created in God's image like he was.
Speaker B:So he needed someone, a partner in life, a help meet.
Speaker A:Oh, that is so good.
Speaker A:And that help meet is.
Speaker A:It's so much more than the word help.
Speaker A:That's the Hebrew word ezra, as far as I know how to pronounce it.
Speaker A:And it's.
Speaker A:It's the same term that God used for himself when he said he's going to come to Israel's aid.
Speaker A:It's like a military force.
Speaker A:So you and your spouse, you're privileged to, to share home, share lives, but your best friend is laying there 6 inches from you in a bed.
Speaker A:The best prayer partner you can ever have, the best buddy you can ever have in.
Speaker A:And all you ladies know about Ann Shirley and her bosom.
Speaker B:Bosom friend.
Speaker A:Bosom friend.
Speaker A:Your husband can be your bosom friend, someone that you can confide in, someone who can be your bestest friend and husband is your spouse can be that companion that you always long for.
Speaker A:One of the great needs of a husband is friendship.
Speaker A:That's what he needs from his wife is friendship.
Speaker A:And the wife needs open and honest communication.
Speaker A:And so it's just, it goes hand in hand.
Speaker A:So the first problem God solved was loneliness.
Speaker A:So yes, marriage was designed to solve relational isolation and friendship was answered.
Speaker A:So marriage itself, all, every marriage in the world, it solves singleness, but it doesn't solve loneliness.
Speaker B:Right, Right.
Speaker B:Even in godly marriages, people kind of don't realize that friendship was the base, should be the key ingredient of their marriage.
Speaker B:You know, like friendship with God.
Speaker B:That's so important in your relationship with God.
Speaker B:If you don't feel like you're friends with God, you're not going to tell him everything that's on your heart or your mind.
Speaker B:You're not going to listen to everything he has to say because you may not trust what he has to say.
Speaker B:But friendship gives that solid foundation.
Speaker B:It just anchors your marriage.
Speaker B:I just.
Speaker B:I just love that.
Speaker B:And it creates that openness that we desire.
Speaker A:And if you would like to delve into this further, you can go to our website, inspiringmarriages.net and you can sign up for our Keep in Touch section.
Speaker A:And there you can receive our latest offering for free.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:And right now we're offering a friendship builder, some fun friendship builders for Christian couples.
Speaker A:Either you can sign up on the website or you can Just ask for it at inspiring marriages t.net our email.
Speaker A:And there you can just ask for the friendship builders.
Speaker A:Number two, your spouse should be your closest companion.
Speaker A:If we look at Song of Solomon, which should be a favorite book for all married Christians.
Speaker A:This is my beloved, this is my friend.
Speaker A:So this overlooks one of the most.
Speaker A:This is one of the most overlooked passages about marriage.
Speaker A:So the Bible doesn't describe husband and wife as just lovers, but as friendship brings, what does it bring?
Speaker A:It brings safety.
Speaker A:It brings laughter.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker A:Emotional connection and shared joy.
Speaker A:You and your spouse should be able to.
Speaker A:On your weekly connection or your daily connection, you, you can reminisce about times of joy.
Speaker A:Things.
Speaker A:Funny things have happened in your relationship.
Speaker A:Maybe at the time you couldn't laugh about them when they happen, but now, but now you can because there's safety.
Speaker A:Husband's.
Speaker A:One of the wife's biggest need is in your relationship is security.
Speaker A:She needs to know that you were in there.
Speaker A:Just like Steve Rogers and Bucky.
Speaker B:You're in there with you to the
Speaker A:end of the line.
Speaker A:I'm with you to the end of the line.
Speaker A:So she needs that.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:So that's what friendship brings.
Speaker A:It brings all those things.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:There's such security and knowing that someone is not going to just say, well, I'm done, because you have a problem or you're upset or things aren't going well and you're trying to talk to your friend about it.
Speaker B:Those are not true friends if they leave you when things get hard.
Speaker B:So in marriage, there should be no exit door because things are getting difficult.
Speaker B:You know, you can, you can, you know, decide to spend some time alone to work something out, you know, cool off or get your emotions under control or whatever before you try to talk out a situation or discuss a problem.
Speaker B:But never saying, well, I'm just going to leave if you don't stop this, you know, or I'm going to leave if you can't, you know, handle this situation.
Speaker B:No, there's, there's no option for, for that.
Speaker B:So that, that is security.
Speaker B:If your friendship is saying, I will never leave you or forsake you, just like the Lord said to us, that's the kind of friendship that God wants to have in your marriage.
Speaker A:And number three, friendship really enhances romance, you know, so, so the key to, the key to Rome, to a happy marriage is not just romance, because romance is important.
Speaker A:It's important husbands is important to your wives that you, that you treat her nice.
Speaker A:But.
Speaker A:But we can go deeper.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:So Proverbs 17.
Speaker A:17.
Speaker A:It tells us a friend loves at all times.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker A:So if you feel like the romance is fading, which it shouldn't, even after 30, 40, 50, 60 years, 70 years, your romance shouldn't fade.
Speaker A:But if you work on that friendship, keep working on that friendship.
Speaker A:If.
Speaker A:Keep working on that friendship, that friendship really will keep the sparks alive.
Speaker B:Yes, yes.
Speaker B:I think of it as a sustaining force.
Speaker B:You know, we need that constancy in our relationship.
Speaker B:That's a old version of a word, constancy.
Speaker B:But if you don't have that kind of friendship where it's constant, like, you know, hey, I'm with you.
Speaker B:I'm.
Speaker B:I'm for you, you know, I'm not going to turn against you.
Speaker B:You know, you see it so much in literature, in movies and shows.
Speaker B:Like, you know, people can think romance will hold their relationship together, but when they run into a problem or they disagree on something, then all of a sudden, well, there's no more romance.
Speaker B:Now what do we do?
Speaker B:It's not going to sustain the relationship the way that friendship will.
Speaker B:Romance is kind of.
Speaker B:You can think of it as the cherry on the, you know, the ice cream soda or the icing on a cake.
Speaker B:You know, it's.
Speaker B:It's the sweetness that we get to enjoy, but it's not the whole relationship.
Speaker A:So good.
Speaker A:That's so good.
Speaker A:So after 34 years of marriage, we discovered something simple yet powerful.
Speaker A:The couples who stay close aren't the couples that just avoid the problems.
Speaker A:The couples stay close are those who stay friends through the problems.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker A:So let's transition, Teresa into something else.
Speaker A:Let's talk about the silent enemy of friendship and marriage.
Speaker A:So let's talk about why some Christian couples slowly stop being friends and don't even know it.
Speaker A:Know it.
Speaker A:So hardly any Christian couple wake up one day and say, we're not going to be friends anymore.
Speaker A:No, it just.
Speaker B:I don't like you.
Speaker A:It just happens.
Speaker A:It happens.
Speaker A:It happens slowly, Right.
Speaker A:It happens quietly.
Speaker A:It's like.
Speaker A:It's almost like invisible.
Speaker A:It's like you wake up one day, like, what happened?
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:And so you don't even notice it until maybe you fill up one feel like you wake up one day and you realize you're more like roommates and instead of companions.
Speaker A:But the good news is the Bible explains why this drift happens.
Speaker A:And the Bible gives us ways we can stop it.
Speaker B:That's so good.
Speaker A:So let's talk about this enemy of marriage called busyness.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:If you let it, busyness will replace your friendship.
Speaker A:If you're busy with work, kids, even church and responsibilities.
Speaker A:Maybe you're coaching a team, maybe you got outside interests, which is not.
Speaker A:Not wrong.
Speaker A:Maybe have you go bowling or whatever, whatever it is.
Speaker A:But business will push friendship aside.
Speaker A:You got it.
Speaker A:If you're, if all your conversation revolves around schedules and when this needs to be done and when that needs to be done, you're really just managing your marriage.
Speaker A:You're not living your marriage.
Speaker B:Right, right.
Speaker B:Just managing life, busy life.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's.
Speaker B:It's easy to happen.
Speaker B:I think like you said, that can just kind of creep up on you without you realizing it.
Speaker B:But that's a good, That's a good way to check, you know, if your conversation is basically all about who's got this practice on what day and what kind of church activities we've got going on this week and where we have to go and that, you know, and what's going on with work.
Speaker B:It.
Speaker B:You know, it's.
Speaker B:There's no friendship exchange there.
Speaker B:There's.
Speaker B:There's not that heart to heart communication and sharing needs, sharing herds, sharing joys.
Speaker B:That's all supposed to be involved in your friendship.
Speaker B:So we don't want that to happen, but we know that it happens.
Speaker A:Let me, let me give.
Speaker A:Give you permission.
Speaker A:You don't have to do everything.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker A:Your children don't have to be in everything.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker A:You don't have to be in everything.
Speaker A:Let God lead you and God direct you, and I'll leave it at that.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:Ecclesiastes 4, 9 and 10.
Speaker A:Is really says two are better than one.
Speaker A:If either of them falls, one can help the other up.
Speaker A:Marriage is supposed to be a shared life.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:Share life on every level.
Speaker A:Spiritual, intellectual, emotional and physical.
Speaker A:You're not.
Speaker A:Marriage is not supposed to be two people living parallel lives.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:That would definitely mean roommates.
Speaker B:Definition of roommates.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:If you ever look at parallel railroad tracks, they never meet.
Speaker A:That's right.
Speaker B:That's the whole idea.
Speaker B:Parallel line.
Speaker A:Something went wrong.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:Number two, in addition to busyness, couples can sometimes stop investing in friendship.
Speaker A:Now, when you were dating, I know this.
Speaker A:You talked for hours.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker A:And if you're older, maybe there was a phone on the wall that you reached up and you can get.
Speaker A:And you can.
Speaker A:It had a long cord.
Speaker A:You could sit in the chair, you can lie down on the floor.
Speaker A:It didn't matter.
Speaker A:And you could talk for hours.
Speaker A:You fell in love with your spouse because of words.
Speaker A:You really did.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker A:You talked for hours.
Speaker A:You laughed a Lot.
Speaker A:And you pursued each other.
Speaker A:So that word.
Speaker A:When Adam said, man should be joined unto his wife, it's like putting it into a constant pursuit of each other.
Speaker A:Husbands and wives should be pursuing their.
Speaker A:Each other all the time.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Like when you were dating, you just.
Speaker B:You just kind of told your other friends, nope, I've got a date.
Speaker B:I'm not going to hang out with you.
Speaker B:You know, you just put those other activities and those other relationships on the back burner because, hey, I'm dating, or I'm going to talk on the phone with my.
Speaker B:My honey, you know, so that you can still prioritize your relationship over other relationships.
Speaker A:So after your wedding ceremony, you know, that's.
Speaker A:That's when the real.
Speaker A:The real.
Speaker A:The real work begins.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:So you can't stop unintentional.
Speaker A:You don't unintentionally stop pursuing friendship.
Speaker A:So always intentionally pursue friendship.
Speaker A:That's what I'm going to say.
Speaker B:That's good.
Speaker A:Get the words out correctly.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:But beware.
Speaker A:Emotional distance.
Speaker A:It just begins quiet, quietly.
Speaker A:People call this.
Speaker A:I've seen it.
Speaker A:Called the silent drift.
Speaker A:No, it just.
Speaker A:It's not a big fight.
Speaker A:It's not a dramatic crisis.
Speaker A:It's just a slow drift, and then you get just a gradual distance.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:And it's sad that we.
Speaker B:We can get comfortable with that, you know, drifting apart and just thinking, well, we're okay because we're not fighting or okay because, you know, we're not, you know, having differences.
Speaker B:But it's just because you're not talking and you're not sharing your lives together.
Speaker B:So it's.
Speaker B:It's harder to detect, but it is very real.
Speaker B:In a lot of relationships.
Speaker A: Proverbs: Speaker A:So God intends for your spouse to be that kind of friend.
Speaker A:Your spouse should be closer to you than your parents, your siblings.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker A:And your children.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:And I know some people may not like that.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker A:But it's.
Speaker A:That's just the way it is.
Speaker A:That's why God designed.
Speaker A:The beautiful design that God had for marriage is your spouse is the friend that stick closer to any other person.
Speaker B:Mm, that's right.
Speaker B:When I think of you being my best friend, it's like, if I have some exciting news or I have something I want to share with another person, you're the first person I want to share it with.
Speaker B:You're the first person I want to say, listen to this.
Speaker B:That I found out today, or listen to this good thing that happened.
Speaker B:To me or here's.
Speaker B:Here's something that I'm praying about and kind of struggling with.
Speaker B:You know, you should be my person to go to besides the Lord.
Speaker B:I'm going to go to the Lord, of course.
Speaker B:But as far as another human being, you're my best friend.
Speaker B:You're the one I want to talk to about any of those things.
Speaker A:Oh, that's so sweet.
Speaker A:And I feel the same way.
Speaker A:So We've learned over 34 years that friendship, this doesn't disappear overnight.
Speaker A:It just fades when couples stop intentionally nurturing it.
Speaker A:But the good news, we have good news today, friendship can be rebuilt.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:So now we want to transition into practical ways Christian couples can rebuild their friendship and closeness again.
Speaker A:So we have three biblical ways to rebuild friendship.
Speaker A:So if too oftentimes couples get into marriage and maybe they're not as close to their spouse as they were before, and they might just think, well, that's just way marriage is.
Speaker A:Well, that's just the way he is, or that's just the way she is.
Speaker A:And I just.
Speaker A:I just need to deal with it and get used to it.
Speaker A:But if your friendship has faded, don't think it may never come back, because that is a lie.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:Friendship in marriage can absolutely be rebuilt.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker A:So number one, number one, the number one way to rebuild your friendship is spend intentional time together.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:Friendship grows through shared experiences.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:It's not just me telling Teresa about my experience at work or when I did saw how the drive was home.
Speaker A:Our friendship is built on when we're together and we're shared experiences.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:I love that.
Speaker B:And being intentional to.
Speaker B:To make time to experience things together, doing something new, going somewhere you.
Speaker B:You love to go together instead of just saying, well, I'll take a girlfriend and go to this place I like to go.
Speaker B:I want to go with Jeff.
Speaker A:If it's just a share.
Speaker A:A shared drive to the store.
Speaker B:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker A:Ecclesiastes 4:12 tells us a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Speaker A:And we all know this.
Speaker A:When couples spend intentional time together with God at the center, their bond strengthens.
Speaker A:So God is the third strand.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And we talk about the Lord when we're together.
Speaker B:We talk about the things he's speaking to us and sharing with us so that we are.
Speaker B:We know where each other is, you know, living, you know, as far as our spiritual life and things that are.
Speaker B:We're thinking about that are important to us.
Speaker B:And so if we go on a drive or we're walking somewhere together, we're we're talking about the Lord.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Go on a walk, go on a drive.
Speaker A:We had a couple tell us this week that they like to go to the grocery store together.
Speaker A:And that's great.
Speaker A:I mean, you're spending time together.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker A:That's what's important.
Speaker B:Making decisions together.
Speaker B:Making decisions together.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:That's so good.
Speaker A:So in addition, in addition to spending time together, we have to rediscover fun together.
Speaker A:Don't lose this essential fun.
Speaker A:F U N. Right.
Speaker A:Laughter strengthens relationships.
Speaker A:Proverbs 5.
Speaker A:18 tells us, Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
Speaker A:Your marriage should include joy.
Speaker A:Joy.
Speaker A:So binge watch a show that you.
Speaker A:A funny show that you like.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:So if it's something that you like as funny that you think is funny, or maybe it's a Christian comedian, enjoy that.
Speaker A:If you want to watch Tim Hawkins videos,
Speaker B:for sure.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Just don't, don't dismiss the importance of joy and joy.
Speaker A:You know, the Bible tells us how laughter is like medicine to our bones.
Speaker A:You know.
Speaker A:Oh, when you laughed, when you laugh with your spouse, it just, it's.
Speaker A:It just, it's just a good time.
Speaker B:Mm.
Speaker B:It is.
Speaker B:And you know, if it can be healing to your body, it can also bring healing to your, your soul, your mind and your will and your emotions.
Speaker B:I just love that.
Speaker A:And number three out of the three things we're going to talk about today, you have to practice encouragement.
Speaker A:Friends.
Speaker A:I'm talking about true friends.
Speaker A:Build each other up.
Speaker A:First, Thessalonians tells us in 5 11, encourage one another and build each other up.
Speaker A:That's pretty plain.
Speaker A:That's not open for.
Speaker A:To our interpretation.
Speaker A:That's pretty plain.
Speaker A:A few words of encouragement can restore emotional closeness and.
Speaker B:Right, right.
Speaker A:It's like the verse we saw earlier where one falls down, the other one helps them up.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:It's a lot of times that is with encouraging ones.
Speaker A:Encouraging.
Speaker A:Not everybody is high all the time.
Speaker A:There's some.
Speaker A:We all go through storms.
Speaker A:We all go through disappointments.
Speaker A:Disappointments and difficulties.
Speaker A:But your spouse can encourage you through that.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker B:And it's.
Speaker B:It's always like friendship.
Speaker B:Be a friend if you want to have a friend.
Speaker B:So be an encourager.
Speaker B:You know, you may not think your spouse speaks very many encouraging words, but you can start because you've listened to this or you know what the word says, that we are to encourage one another and build each other up.
Speaker B:You know, not speaking words that tear down or intentionally hurt your spouse.
Speaker B:We don't want to push each Other's buttons.
Speaker B:That's not helpful.
Speaker B:It's just not.
Speaker B:Speak words that bring life.
Speaker B:You know, we want to bring life with our words.
Speaker B:Because your marriage is so valuable, you want to invest in it.
Speaker B:You want to keep your marriage strong.
Speaker B:You want to love your spouse with your words.
Speaker B:Not.
Speaker B:Not bring hurt or any kind of discouragement.
Speaker B:So it really helps to check what you're going to say before you say it.
Speaker B:Like, lord, help me say it the right way.
Speaker B:Help me say this so it won't be taken the wrong way and say, help me say it to be loving and kind to my spouse.
Speaker B:You know, kindness goes a long way.
Speaker B:That's.
Speaker B:That's so valuable in how you speak to your spouse.
Speaker A:Let me make this.
Speaker A:Let's make this easy.
Speaker A:If you ever have a choice of making a sarcastic remark, right.
Speaker A:Or a cutting remark or some kind of joke, and the choice of being an encourager, I would say choose being
Speaker B:an encourager every time.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Because those, those sarcastic words, you.
Speaker B:You may not realize what kind of deep cuts that they would make in the heart of your spouse.
Speaker B:That could be something that they heard during childhood or similar to something they.
Speaker B:If they were teased at school or if their parents were critical or they had a teacher that was unkind.
Speaker B:I mean, it could make them feel like, okay, I'm back to being eight years old, feeling like the clumsiest kid in school, and everybody is making fun of me, you know, and that coming for something similar to come from your spouse, that's very hurtful.
Speaker B:So I can say from experience, you don't want to speak any kind of critical words or, you know, making fun of your spouse or pointing out a weakness and laughing about it or, you know, that's.
Speaker B:That's not a good source of fun at all.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:You know that it's just damaging to your relationship.
Speaker B:So encouraging words.
Speaker B:You know, if that has happened, you can make a turnaround in how you think about your spouse and what you are saying.
Speaker B:So ask the Lord to help you with that.
Speaker B:You can even ask your spouse to pray with you.
Speaker B:Help me to choose the right words, you know, come before the Lord and pray together about those things.
Speaker B:Help us both to say encouraging words to each other, to say loving words and things that build each other up.
Speaker B:Even if, you know, while I know my husband is not an athlete, why should I say, he looks great today or he looks strong and healthy?
Speaker B:Well, say things to be encouraging.
Speaker B:You don't have to be an athlete, you know, Say things, honey, you look nice today.
Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker B:I just I really like what you're wearing, and I like how you did your hair.
Speaker B:Anything.
Speaker B:I mean, it goes a long way.
Speaker B:Just being kind and encouraging.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So let's sum this up today.
Speaker A:Thank you for.
Speaker A:For listening.
Speaker A:After 34 years of marriage, we know one thing.
Speaker A:That the happiest couples are out there are not the ones who never struggle.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:They're the happiest couples are the ones that stay friends through every season.
Speaker A:And let us encourage you, if you're feeling distant right now, I can assure you 100%, your friendship can be rebuilt.
Speaker A:But it begins with small, intentional steps.
Speaker A:And just remember, God designed husband and wife to be friends for life.
