Our Story
My wife and I now have the marriage we have always wanted, but it has not come effortlessly, and there was even a time when neither one of us felt it was worth fighting for.
Trisha and I met at Lincoln Christian College in 1993. I placed a bet with a friend of mine that I could get Trisha to go out with me before the end of the semester. She found out about the bet, and I lost. We became great friends that year, and began dating during the second semester, after I paid my $50 debt.
We were married in the summer of 1995, and began to serve in student ministry. We served churches in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Tennessee. We moved to Noblesville, Indiana in June of 2002 to start a church to help people find their way back to God.
As the church began to grow, our marriage and my relationship with God began to deteriorate. Despite having three young boys at home and several hundred people attending the three-year-old church we started, I chose to have an affair with a staff member at our church, and seriously considered leaving my wife and family.
Trisha and I were separated for two months and began to go to counseling. I had always gone to church, went to a Christian college, and then became a pastor…I knew I needed grace to go to heaven, but had never been in a place in life where I was desperate for grace and a new start…until then. God showed up with love and grace in a way that I had never experienced before.
In a miraculous way, God gave Trisha a love and mercy for me that paved the way for the restoration of our marriage and family. We have made a lot of mistakes…but God has redeemed us and recreated our marriage in a way that blows our minds every day.
Your Struggles are not Unique
Looking back at that time when our marriage melted down in 2005, Trisha and I thought that the things that we struggled with, the problems that we had and the issues we faced, were unique to us. For the next year and a half, we spent a lot of time identifying our issues, talking about our problems and being honest and transparent about our struggles.
As you start your marriage you will experience the same feeling. You will feel like what you struggle with, no one else struggles with. The arguments you have, the feelings you feel, the fears you face will all feel like they are unique to you. Don’t make the mistake of isolating yourself because you believe no one could possibly understand; because the truth is, couples have dealt with the same issues before, and some have even come out stronger on the other side.
What you need to know is that you are not alone. The things you deal with, everyone deals with. The problems you have, everyone has, or they have and lie that they don’t.
Who Will you Fight for?
A few weeks ago, I was having lunch with a friend who was having some problems in his marriage. He began to walk me through their issues, and they weren’t unique or different or unsolvable. They were real and they were serious, but not exclusive to their relationship. At one point in our conversation, I said to my friend, “What you need to do is fight for your marriage. You are more willing to fight for your career than you are committed to fighting for your marriage.” He replied, “It’s easier to fight with her, than it is to fight for her.”
As you start your marriage, if I can encourage you to do anything, it is to fight for your marriage whatever the cost. Great marriages don’t just happen. You have to fight for it. Marriages drift. Intimacy leaks. Romance fades. You have to fight for these things. What I have seen in my own marriage and in the marriage of so many others is exactly what my friend admitted: often it is easier for us to fight for things in our life that mean so much less than our spouse:
- We fight for our career
- We fight for a bigger house or nicer car
- We fight for the approval of others
- We fight for that promotion
- We fight for our status
- We fight for a business deal
As you start out in marriage it will be so easy to get consumed with life, to spend the best hours of your day fighting for the things that won’t matter in the end. Somewhere along the way, the person that means the most to you will get the least amount of care from us. It will be easier to fight with them, than it will be to fight for them. Keep fighting.
Your wife needs you to fight for her. Your husband needs you to fight for him.
If you want a great marriage, you have to fight for it. If you want to experience intimacy and to be known by your spouse, you will have to fight for it. If you want the marriage you promised to have on the day you said, “I do,” it won’t just happen, you will have to fight for it. And looking back someday, hopefully both of you can say that you did.
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Today kicks off the first day of our launch party, from April 4-15th, and there’s more to come! Click here to see the party line-up of new daily featured articles and giveaways.
UPDATE: Congratulations to Susanna P. for winning our first daily giveaway, the Keurig Coffeemaker! The winner has been notified by email and will be receiving her prize soon. Susanna’s randomly selected comment was:
What you said is so true. A year and a half ago, my husband and I were well on the way to getting a divorce. I did not think God could fix things by that point. I was angry, hard, and bitter and had convinced myself that I would never be able to love my husband again. Well, God changed all of that in one night! My husband and I have been able to completely forgive each other, and I am now more in love with him more than I thought possible. We will be celebrating our 6 year anniversary this May:) It’s never too late and there is nothing so bad that God cannot work things out for His glory. Thank you.
I liked you on facebook.
I love your story… my husband is in the military and he did the unthinkable and had an affair before deploying and went as far as to have me served with divorce papers. We are together still because I fought for him and made him realize how important we were. but now I am the one doubting and going through the effects of what happened. I just don’t know what to do.
Tracie…thank you for sharing your story. I’d encourage you to check out our web site and let us know if we can serve you guys in any way. We are definitely praying for you guys, knowing the journey that is ahead.
The Lord’s timing is perfect! I was intrigued when the Twitter post for this came up on my phone this morning. I folloed the link and discovered this post addressing THE major issue in my life today. While this is not the forum to air my “laundry”, I can share that all day yesterday, this was the battle raging in my mind…to fight “with” or to fight “for.” In an effort to over-express my love for my bride, I have embraced a hyper-servants role (her Love Language) and my ego wanted to say, “Don’t you see all that I’m doing?!?”, but I know that would negate my motives. I opted to stay quiet and keep serving…thanks for encouraging me to stay the course!
So glad it spoke to you Dwayne. I love when God gives us things right as we need them.
I agree, you must fight for your marriage!
Thank you Katherine.
This life is a constant battle between good and evil. We must fight for the things that matter. The things that will matter in eternity. Its a choice we have to make every morning we wake up. Will you go against the ways of this world and fight for love? God is Love.
So true Anderson…good word.
I loved this article. It is wonderful advice as I’m getting married in less than two months. In all circumstances, we must fight for our marriage. Thank you for your willingness to be transparent and share your story!
Thank you Angel. Praying for your wedding and your marriage!
Completely agree! People quickly put everything and everyone else before their marriage. Fight for it!
Thank you Lisa! And thank you for liking on Facebook!
I also liked you on facebook!
Greetings,
Following you on Twitter and looking forward to the power of another voice helping people to make their investments in the priceless treasure of their marriages.
Blessings!
Awesome Matt…thanks!
What an amazing story of restoration!
Thank you Pattie…God is a God of restoration!
I also just started following you on Twitter. Thanks!
“It’s easier to fight with her, than it is to fight for her.” What a blessing to find your site this morning,
We’re glad you’re here! Justin gave us a good reminder: it’s our choice whether we will fight for or against our spouse. Every day, it’s up to us.
I totally agree with you and thank you for what you’re doing. Thank you for allowing God to use you and your experience to help others. Marriage is hard and ministry is hard. Thanks for reminding us to stay the course and fight for our marriage. It’s easy to see that if we don’t make it a priority then it will get left behind. Our spouse deserves our best, not our leftovers. Thanks for reminding me to choose to fight for my marriage and my spouse. I’m following you on Twitter and I’ve now liked you on facebook.
I would love to win the Keurig coffee maker. 
Thank you Krystal. Good luck in winning the coffee maker. I can say that as I have no say in who does win it
I liked you on Facebook!
I completely agree — marriage is a daily battle, and it’s worth fighting for! Putting on the Full Armor of God is essential.
Lindsay, thanks for being here and chiming in! You’re right, God can equip us with everything we need to fight strong for our marriage.
Thank you for your insight into marriage. I am a newlywed it will be 2 months on the 12 of April. And it has not been easy or hard. I pray everyday for my husband, our marriage, our home, and our children. We need it. I love that you were willing to share something so personal as a testimony to encourage others. I am going sign up for your Twitter as well. Thank you!!!
Thank you so much Chanda…praying for your marriage…congrats on 2 months!
I needed to read this.. my husband has been very unfaithful in our marriage, i just want to give up sometimes. He is now deployed and changed so much.. the ultimate stain on a unstable marriage.. I am going to fight for my husband from here on out. I could use your prayers
Praying for you Sarah! Please let us know if we can do anything for you.
I follow you on twitter.
Thanks so much for the reminder that we must continue to fight for our marriages. There’s no time when we “arrive” and can just coast. Your testimony is such a blessing and admonition to me. Thank you.
Justin and Trisha,
Thanks for talking about this. I agree that we must always fight for our marriages. No one else on Earth is going to fight for our spouses the way we can, so if we don’t, it’s over. Top if off, the enemy is constantly trying to break families apart.
My concern is with the comment about it being easier to fight WITH a spouse than it is to fight FOR a spouse. You see, couples don’t start out fighting. They start out by loving each other. What, then, has brought them to a place that makes them feel it is easier to fight with than to fight for?
My thought is that one or the other started out fighting for the marriage, but over time has come to a point of exhaustion. What do you tell that person or couple? What if a husband or wife has been fighting for their spouse, yet continues to face rejection at every attempt?
I look forward to your thoughts on this.
I am now following you on both Twitter and Facebook. Blessings!
David…great question, and I can’t say that I can give a blanket answer for every single couple. But what I have come to realize is that I don’t have the capacity to change my wife. As much as I try, as much as I might want to, only God has the ability to change my wife. On top of that, my wife has to want to change in order for God to change her. Just like God won’t force his way into our salvation, he won’t force his way into our transformation. All I can be responsible for is allowing God to change me. When I look at my marriage that way, it shifts my focus from fighting with my wife to fighting for her by allowing God to change and transform my heart. Even if my wife isn’t open to fighting for me, our marriage is better because I am becoming more like Christ. I respond differently; I love differently; I serve more willingly. I hope that helps answer the question.
I found this very useful. My husband and I have been married almost 5 years and recently realized we had quit fighting FOR each other. Thanks for the reminder!
I liked you on facebook also! Forgot to say that!
Thanks Rachel…praying for you guys in this area!
I follow on FB and Twitter.
My husband and I just celebrated one year of marriage. I find what you’re saying here SO true. It’s VERY easy to fight one another, but hard work to fight to have the marriage that we want. However, we are learning this and it’s getting better and better!
Awesome! Congrats on your first year of marriage.
Encouraging article. My wife and I continue to fight for our marriage, good to know our battles are not alone.
Praying for you in that fight Curtis! Thanks!
Loved your post and agree. Life gets so hectic and the marriage part a lot of times is left on the back burner to just get ignored. I’m encouraged to keep fighting for it. I also, look forward to hearing your thoughts regarding David’s questions. Thanks.
Thanks Rachel…glad this encouraged you!
I agree that we should fight for marriage like we do in the other things in life. This partnership is so much more important that so many of the things we put before our marriages.
Facebooked and twittered this too.
Its so comforting to know that we’re never alone in our struggles but would never know it until we can finally be honest with eachother and outloud.
My husband and I have gone through the same situation and are amazed in Gods grace and the healing more everyday. As you said, I had never been so desperate for grace and a new start as I had been and I’m so thankful that we serve a God who is bigger than anything who gave us and continues to give us exactly everything we need and more!
we follow you now on twitter and like you on facebook!
So awesome that you guys fought for each other and have found healing! Praying for you!
I choose my wife. I choose to love and care for her. Why would I not choose to fight for her? I have seen too man friends not fight when the needed to and they are far from their spouse. Especially in ministry, we need to constantly fight for our marriage. Great site, I will bs recommending it to a lot of people
Following you on facebook!
Great post and reminder as always.
Thanks Elaine! Appreciate that!
Hi ,
your words brought to me peace. tks.
i was feeling alone…i felt like i didn’t know my husband anymore…we married on december and in 3 months we thought our marriage was a mistake…we look each other and we found 2 stranges living together…but when i read :If you want a great marriage, you have to fight for it.!
i knew i need to fight for mine!!!
tks so much for been use by God to be His answer in my affliction!
Thank you for your honesty…Praying for you and your husband today!
This is some great advice! I am still single but taking any and all Godly advice I can get! This is some great knowledge to have before God brings my other half along!
Hi Elizabeth, thanks for your comment! I applaud your wisdom in preparing for marriage now, before you ever meet your spouse! We hope this website will also be an encouraging place for those of us who are not yet married but aspire to a godly marriage in the future.
A good reminder. My husband and I have stopped fighting with each other, however, I think we may have forgotten to fight for each other. Its so easy for us to get distracted with our two young kids, our jobs, and everything else that we take for granted what we have in each other. By the end of the day, we’re both so tired that we sometimes don’t even think to fight for our relationship because we take for granted the security that we’ll always be there for each other. Thanks for the reminder though. Time to get back on track. =0)
Thanks Sarah…so glad this post helped you get back on track!
Amen…. I totally agree you have to fight for your marriage i have been there and when my marriage was falling apart i found god and everything changed for the better i am grateful to have him to show me the way when he did
My wife told me about this site. It’s some good advice and I think it’s even better since it’s coming from the husband. I think sometimes us men can get lazy once we get “the prize” (our wife) and quit fighting for her heart. Thank you for the encouragement.
So true Joshua. Hope this site becomes a great resource for you guys!
Excellent article. I liked you on FB, and have recommended this site to the newlywed Sunday School class we teach.
Thank you for referring us to your church’s newlywed class, Lydia! It is our hope to minister to young couples as they prepare to enter marriage, I hope they will be blessed! That’s great that you teach a class of newlyweds…my husband and I did premarital counseling, but sometimes churches don’t have anything to offer couples after the marriage. So thank you for what you’re doing!
My husband and I were talking last night about how love is not always just a feeling. The first couple years of our marriage I wasn’t a very compromising wife, and I know that Bill probably didn’t feel loved or feel like loving me, but he fought for me…for us! We fight for each other even when it’s not always the easiest thing to do.
Good word Jessi! Thanks!
Thank you for the article. I do look forward to reading more like this to help encourage me and my husband with our marriage.
I have also “liked” on facebook.
these are great ideas but very hard to do. the thought always comes to mind “i’ll wait until he/she changes and gets the ‘message’ to realize that something is wrong in this marriage.”
we need a plan but how to get going on it??!!
thanks for these thoughts in this ‘article’.
Justin and Trisha –
What a powerful story of how we are not meant to do this on an island of isolation. Thank you so much for sharing.
**I also liked Start Your Marriage right on Facebook!
I’m coming up on 5yrs post divorce. I fought for my marriage the best way I knew how before it finally ended with the official divorce. I’ve learned so much since that time and I now see all the classic mistakes I made in my marriage and what I thought was fighting for it. RefineUs marriage ministry and now start your marriage right are a part of my daily routines on twitter and facebook. These are some amazingly valuable resources that have lessons and tools that I learned the hard way and too late for my past marriage. I am however getting married in July of this year as God as blessed me with an amazing woman that I’m loving and cherishing for the rest of our lives. I will use these resources and tools consistently as a reminders and preventive measures. Divorce is not the answer and is something I never desired for my family. I will fight for my marriage and family utilizing every lesson I learned and all the resources God has given me to avoid that road. I’ve been giving out the links to friends and coworkers. There are so many marriages in trouble and it breaks my heart. I want to help any and all that I can to avoid the pain and heartache of divorce. Thank you for being obedient and having these ministries, and resources avaliable!
I hope that I and my husband keep the “fight for your marriage” mentality as we grow in our marriage. We are a military marriage and that comes with additional challenges and opposition from the enemy. I want to encourage and set the example to other military couples to fight for their marriage and the only way we can fight successfully is with Christ on our side, the true victor over the enemy. To all the military spouses out there, fight knowing that God is on your side fighting for your marriage alongside you. He is not satisfied with a mediocre, wordly marriage…He wants us to have a fulfilling and amazing marriage. By His power and through His grace, we can have that kind of marriage. And I will fight for it, just like my husband fights for our country to be free and safe. FIGHT military spouses, FIGHT for your marriages!
Great story, thanks for sharing! I think if half of the married people in the world thought this way it might help with problems before it’s gone too far
Yay for posts like this to counter all of the negative media that nudges people in more pleasurable ways of life and less joyful. Marriage is tons of work and can fill your heart with long lasting joy. My husband lives away from home for his job, leaving me home with 5 of our children. Sometimes he can’t come home for months. I often have people ask me how we do it. My response is always the same; We love and respect each other. It’s that simple. Anything you respect and love is worth fighting for!
Thank you for sharing your story with us. My husband & I have been married nearly 3 years, but only spent about half of that time together with his work. I am a housewife, which I absolutely love. I didn’t think I would, but when I couldn’t find a new job 2 years ago, I gave it a whirl and love it. My husband works very long hours during the week and he’s always exhausted when he gets home from work. The displays of appreciation and affection (nothing big, just him telling me thank you, or a random hug) have slid to the wayside as his work load has increased. I have found myself wondering why I even try anymore & why I do everything I do for him – including my new attempt to lose a little weight and be healthier (not totally for him, but I finally got him to admit to me he’s concerned about my weight). Reading this article has renewed my motivation to fight for our marriage & make him happy. I intend to share this with him when he gets home too. Maybe it will have the same effect on him.
My husband George and I have been going through a very rough patch. We are using the tools provided to strengthen our relationship and rebuild our marriage. Every morning we sit, drink coffee and talk over what’s going to happen during the day. Each evening we sit and spend 15 minutes going over the day. We’re hoping we can move into the same home soon. Thank you for providing us the necessary tools!
I never thought of it that way…how its easier to fight than to fight for it. Thanks!
Being willing to fight for a marriage takes courage and determination, but sometimes experience in the real world is what it takes. My exhusband and I are reconsidering a relationship after six years of marriage and six years divorced. We are different people now due to the things that have happened to us in that time but I believe we needed those things to fully appreciate each other. We kept in touch even though we don’t have kids. Sometimes it just takes time. Too bad we had to go through divorce to find our way back to each other.
My husband and I have been married since 12/1992. It’s my second marriage and I know all too well what happens when you don’t fight for your marriage. It seems everything else is fighting against it and fighting for your time, energy and money! I am now married to my best friend, we put our marriage first and couldn’t ask for a better love! We now mentor young marrieds and I am thrilled for this website! God bless you!
I have “liked” you on facebook as well!
i have learned plenty from my marriage, and yes it is worth fitting for what you truly love. unfortunately it does not work when only one of us willing to fight. i am still learning to make any future relationships better. Thank you, for all of your insight!
Glad I found your site. My marriage went through something very similar two years ago. He gave up, found someone and filed for a divorce. Before the divorce became final he decided to fight for me and our marriage. It’s taken time and we are still getting there but I finally have, what I always thought, a marriage should be.
I just follwed you on Twitter
Liked on Facebook
I just want to start by saying WOW. I never thought about it in that manner. My fiance and I are due to get married on August 3rd and we have both been married before. We have chosen abstinance this time and we both struggle with that decision in the flesh but we both agree that it is the right choice so we fight our urges for each other. I guess if we can remember to put up that same fight with any obstacle in our relationship it will be alot easier.
Thanks
Jeremy
Thanks for the article – my fiancé and I are going to be plunging into the God ordained covenant of marriage soon and we definitely want to start marriage right (and continue to start it right every day of our lives)!
Followed and liked!
Unfortunately I have been divorced for 4 years because I did not fight for my marriage. While I am dating and hope someday to marry again, the guilt of the divorce lives with me to this day.
God is a God of redemption. He will redeem that part of your heart! Praying for you!
So wish this site was up and running 12 years ago before my wedding…but so grateful for the 5 love languages book that has taought me about how to love and be loved!
Awesome story!!
Great article! It is important to keep the lines of communication open when issues arise. Too many shut the other out.
thank you for sharing your story…I am engaged and will be getting married June 2012. A relationship is work and you must be willing to fight for you marriage especially if you truly understand that God united the two of you.
So true Cynthia! Thank you!
Great article! Illustrates that none of us are immune from the things that threaten a marriage.
These are very valuable points you have listed in your article. Marriage is something you have to work on constanly. Fight for constantly. Because there is an evil power fighting against anything God is for. Love is simply not enough. I liked you on Facebook, and hope to read more of your posts.
So true Miriam…thank you!
Thanks for your transparency – marriage IS a battle for covenant and one society pushes to break up & redefine (or eliminate all together). Being in the ministry must be especially tough! I have seen this very thing happen to many I went to Bible College with and it breaks my heart. With a son recently engaged and going into youth ministry – I so appreciate your story as both a warning and admonition to watch over our relationships FIRST.
My husband and I have been married just over a week, after dating almost two years. His previous marriage ended because he was cheated on several times. It has been a struggle to get him to understand that not everyone is the same, and just because she treated him like that does not mean that I will. I fight everyday for him and his trust, but it is worth it because I know that God brought us together and is richly blessing us every day!
Great article! Shows us there is hope for even the most doomed marriages (by the world’s standards).
I needed to hear this today. Never ceases to amaze me that God knows my needs and always finds a way to show me the answer. Thank you for your article.
I’m happy to say we’ve fought for our marriage, and won! It wasn’t easy, but I don’t think I’d go back and change it because of what we’ve been able to share with other hurting couples. God is SO good. We’ll continue working at it and sharing with other couples.
Great article. Gives me hope.
I appreciate your article so very much. I was married for 25 years. During our marriage we struggled through many trials…..depression, loss of loved ones, illness and care of parents, raising children, financial woes, and all the ups and downs that life brings to us all. We fought through and for many things, but somehow we never really took the time and gave the energy and heart necessary to truly fight for our marriage. I was shocked and devestated when he said he wanted to leave. I was ready to fight and fight hard, but by then it was too late…it’s not a battle you can fight alone. I would encourage any couple no matter where you are on your journey to commit now to fight for your spouse and your relationship each and every day. It’s a gift worth fighting for and a loss that devastates you and everyone around you when you don’t! don’t wait until it’s too late!!!
Im separated….heading for divorce after 23 yrs of marriage……..Im tired of being the only fighter….I dont have the fight in me anymore…….but I dont rule out we will get back together at some point………but only after change in BOTH of us……
What you said is so true. A year and a half ago, my husband and I were well on the way to getting a divorce. I did not think God could fix things by that point. I was angry, hard, and bitter and had convinced myself that I would never be able to love my husband again. Well, God changed all of that in one night! My husband and I have been able to completely forgive each other, and I am now more in love with him more than I thought possible. We will be celebrating our 6 year anniversary this May:) It’s never too late and there is nothing so bad that God cannot work things out for His glory. Thank you.
“You have to fight for it.” Thanks for the message. As I sit and read this artcile, it continues to reinforce that I have the power to make things happen. I am in a loving relationship, but the past gets in the way. I want things to be different this time around. Honesty and open communication is one thing I value with my partner. He is open to it without judging. Thank you for sharing your story!
Really enjoyed this article. Thanks for the encouragement!
Still newlyweds after neraly 44 years!
In today’s world marriage is truly a battleground because satan would love to destroy the family. Put on your armor and fight FOR your spouse!
I am 39 and divorced twice…I want to make sure that NEVER happens again!!!
Thank you so much for the inspiration and words of encouragement!! My husband and I have been married for 9 months now, and the last few have been really difficult. Many people have been praying for us and I think it’s starting to show. I’ve been trying to fight for us on and off since we got married, and it is God and my parents’ example of a great marriage that really keeps me going in the on times. The last week was a really good one for us and I feel our dialogue is opening up on how to be better for each other and really make this marriage work. Thank God!!
I “liked” on Facebook.
God’s grace is wonderful and instructive to all in extending it to others.
Wow! I’m not married yet but engaged however this story is so very inspiring. My fiancé and I are experiencing something, in my eyes, the biggest hurdle in our relationship. It has definitely not been easy…is currently not easy. We argue over little stuff and sometimes big stuff but we always manage to get back to a place where we can talk it through and come to an understanding. I hope that means we have that fighting spirit in us to get the marriage that we both dreamed of. Thank you for this hope and inspiration!!
I have been married before and now know without a doubt that I have to be “man of God” for my wife. To take steps in that direction I have joined two men’s Christian groups. The first is a men’s bible study that is conducted by a local parachurch group that pushes us (in love) to learn weekly about Christian characteristics that Christian men should practice. Right now we are going through the Henry Blackaby book “Encountering God.” It has been one of the best experiences that I have had because we meet for 2 hours each week on Tuesday morning. We pray for each other and for our families. The guys also have pressed it on each of us that we need to have a rounded Christian walk. In other words, we must be a hero in our familes, yes first, but, we must also have an outreach to those that are in need. So, many of us are now also volunteering to perform mentor services in our community.
The second Men’s group is a group that meets every Sunday morning that is a Christian Leadership, two-year experience, that will take me through the slow process of developing me into a prayer warrior and a leader in my home and community. It is also going to lead me to see where God wants me to minister in my community. We are learning scripture and learning how to interpret scripture so that we can lead our families accordingly.
Since I have started attending both gatherings the Lord has directed me to start writting Christian plays. I have, for the first time in my life, been able to memorize scripture. God has really become a clear voice in my prayer time and I have witnessed the change in myself over the last 10 weeks.
I am saying all this to really say that if a guy is going to have a real marriage that will answer the call of all Christian husbands to work towards the preparation of our spouses to become holy and ready for the second coming of Christ then we have to step up and assume our true calling as God has defined it as the leader in out households and it is up to us to take the steps to make this happen.
God wants Christian Men to be authentic Christian Men and not be what the world defines for us.
Thanks so much for this article. A very timely reminder. I’m happy to have read this tonight, b/c I think I’ve actually visited your ministry website before- although it has so much more significance today. My husband works on staff at a church and this summer our senior pastor had a moral failure and resigned. It was a big wake up call for all of us and really brought into concentration the direction of our own young marriage (3 yrs), which was not being fought for and nurtured. We’ve been trying to be much more intentional and remember that we need to fight together (have each others’ backs) and not against each other.
That’s an amazing story of forgiveness, grace, and redemption. Thank you for sharing.
Forgot to mention I’m a Facebook fan and Twitter follower, although my Twitter dude sometimes kicks people off my Twitter account, so I’ll follow you again tomorrow if that happens. Gotta love having your own Twitter dude!
Marriage is hard work and yes you do need to fight for it some times. I never knew how much hard work it can be and wish someone would have told me BEFORE I got married, just so I would have been more prepared.
If you isn’t worth fighting for, then what is!
It took me 3 times to realize how to fight for the right things. The things I wanted & needed in my marriage. Thank you for the insightful advice.
I will continue to fight for my marriage. Thank God that we have not had to face any huge crisis, but that alone can be a trap. A trap that allows you to think that your marriage is fine because you don’t have the big issues happening, so you drift along and allow life to pull you apart until one day you don’t even remember why you got married in the first place. Our marriage is worth the daily effort to make it strong! I will fight!
Thank you think came right on time….I will continue to fight till I can’t fight no more…God is so good. Thank you for this word this morning.
Pray for my wife and I. I’m fighting for my marriage after 15years and 3 little ones.