Marriage 101: How to maintain a strong relationship | WisdomForLife

?After 29 years of marriage, raising four children to adulthood and planting a thriving church during those years, my wife and I know that marriage requires intentional commitment. A marriage will not do well without focus on building a strong relationship.

The pastor who married us gave me one line of advice: ???

Check out the rest of my column in Lehigh Valley?s Newspaper:?The Morning Call of Allentown, Pennsylvania:

Faith and Values: Marriage 101: How to maintain a strong relationship

Excerpts from the column:

?There are no perfect marriages. All married people struggle to some extent to keep their marriages healthy and strong. I say this because I find that many people want too much from marriage. They have unrealistic ideas about marriage. They?re in love with the idea of being in love.?

?It?s one thing to be in love; it?s another to love a person in the proximity of marriage! Unrealistic and idealized versions of the relationship of marriage or of the person you plan to marry will quickly shatter in married life.?

?When sinners say, ?I do? we cannot expect perfection! There are risks involved because there are sinners involved. You will probably get hurt but what you do with the hurt is the important part. The key to marital harmony is not the removal of all conflict but a shared commitment to a reconciling spirit between two people who have been reconciled to God.?

?Marriage is not primarily about personal happiness and satisfaction. Yes, in good marriages, this will be experienced. But personal happiness and satisfaction must not be viewed as the goal of marriage if you hope to experience them in it. God designed us so that our deepest joys are experienced in giving love.?

?Marriage clearly offers the closest possible relationship of intimacy and companionship we can enjoy. It should be a relationship of mutual encouragement, acceptance and partnership. It should be characterized by truth, love, good will and grace toward each other.?

Steve Cornell

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Steve Cornell is founding and senior pastor of Millersville Bible Church, Millersville Pennsylvania (USA) (a position he has held for more than 27 years). His ministry also includes daily and weekend radio. Steve is a correspondent for Lancaster Newspapers Inc. and writes for the Morning Call of Allentown, Pennsylvania. He is a recipient of six writing awards from the Amy Foundation. Steve especially enjoys ministry among the students at the State University in Millersville. Steve and his wife Becky have four adult children, a wonderful daughter-n-law, a great son-n-law and a precious granddaughter! ????? ?? ???? ??? ?? ?????????? This entry was posted in Marriage, Broken Relationships, Relationships, Wives, Divorce and Remarriage, Life of a pastor, Family life, Steve Cornell, Counseling, Divorce, Wedding. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://thinkpoint.wordpress.com/2012/06/30/marriage-101-how-to-maintain-a-strong-relationship/

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