OurVow

9 Small Habits That Keep a Christian Marriage Warm

None of these need a counselor, a budget, or a personality change. Pick one this week.

  1. 1.

    Ask one real question a day. Specific beats open-ended, every time.

  2. 2.

    Say the thing you noticed out loud. Most spouses are doing something right and have no idea what.

  3. 3.

    Thank God for them in front of them. Out loud, by name, for one specific thing.

  4. 4.

    Keep a ten-minute window that belongs to no one else. Not an evening. Ten minutes.

  5. 5.

    Tell them what you're proud of, not only what you're grateful for. They're different, and the first one is rarer.

  6. 6.

    Pray one sentence over them before they leave the house.

  7. 7.

    Repeat it back before you respond. It costs eight seconds and prevents most of it.

  8. 8.

    Say the need, not the complaint. "I'd love an hour Saturday" lands better than "you never give me space".

  9. 9.

    End the day naming one good thing. Specific, not a summary.