Want a lifetime marriage?

40 ideas to consider that might help your marriage last a lifetime

1.   God is love; life and love come only from God; a marriage without God in both lives is easily destroyed 

2.   God, spouse, children, immediate family, friends, neighbors, others (in order of importance)

3.   There is respect without love but there is no love without respect.

4.    Personal integrity is the most important character trait to seek in a life-mate.

5.    Two people can live together for decades and still not know each other.

6.    If mother and father both teach children God’s laws and live those laws themselves, it’s almost certain the children will do well in life.

7.    The way father and mother live their lives has more effect on the children than their verbal teaching.

8.    Children always know when their parents are having trouble.

9.    Genetic ties are strong and produce tendencies but family love improves them.

10.  Sex is important but not indispensable between a man and woman who love each other.

11.  When trust is broken once, it’s doubly difficult to regain.

12.  Husband and wife must agree on family finance in order to have genuine peace.

13.  There are definitive roles determined by both husband and wife in a happy marriage.

14.  Husbands and wives tend to stop truly listening to each other over the years; this tendency should be recognized and avoided.

15.  Family crises can either make a marriage stronger or break it apart.

16.  Husband and wife can have many differences in what they like and still be happy.

17.  The most important things in a happy marriage are the efforts of husband and wife to forgive and support each other’s weakness and encourage each other’s strengths.

18.  The second most important thing in a happy marriage is for both husband and wife to genuinely love and train the children.

19.  Husband and wife should respect each other’s differences and not try to change the other.

20.  Nothing is more important to smooth the bumps in married life than a sense of humor.

21.  All things considered, never having had sex with anyone other than your spouse is best.

22.  A husband is always going to look at pretty women; a good man will only look.

23.  A wife is going to notice attractive men; a good woman will never make it obvious.

24.  Familiarity breeds contempt is an adage that only applies to a marriage without true love.

25.  Husband and wife should always be concerned with taking care of each other.

26.  Husband and wife will each screw up badly many times; true love will forgive all those times.

27.  Husband and wife vow before God to love and care for each other; to fail is to break their vow to God.

28.  Both husband and wife will eventually grow old; true love will scarcely notice.

29.  Romantic love may lead to marriage; it has very little to do with successful marriages.

30.  Mutual trust and respect have everything to do with successful marriages.

31.  Children cannot hold a marriage together; children enhance a happy marriage and they suffer the most when it fails.

32.  Grandchildren are among God’s greatest blessings to happy marriages.

33.  Each spouse will grow more like his or her parents as they age.

34.  Husband and wife should know and compensate for each other’s weaknesses.

35.  Husband and wife should never seriously disparage the other before others – never.

36.  Neither spouse should allow friends, neighbors or family to disparage the other.

37.  A good man will still have many flaws; a good woman will forgive them.

38.  One good woman is worth more to her husband than wealth, fame or anything else.

39.  There is nothing other than God more important in life than keeping the commitment of marriage.

40.  There is nothing more satisfying in this life than a long happy marriage with children and grandchildren.