Marriage Advice Your Mom Never Gave You, Day 2 — GRITANDFAVOR.COM

I think we can all agree unity is a lost art in society these days. That reality makes unity all the more valuable to have inside of your home. Because marriage occurs between two individually messy people, there is a 110% chance you will bump up against something you do not agree on. FRIENDS, DISAGREEMENTS DON’T HAVE TO END MARRIAGES. 
+++
Simulating unity until it is reality is not the same as “fake it till you make it.” It’s about being in control of your attitude and words regarding disagreements. It’s about the kind of relationship described in Ephesians to deal with one another with tender humility, quiet patience, gentleness, and generous love, making every effort to keep unity between you. 
+++
Tender humility, quiet patience, gentleness, and generous love are not displayed when we take our arguments outside of our home. Complaining chatter to a friend over coffee is not the same as seeking wise counsel. Sarcastic remarks on social media or at family gatherings do not cultivate a spirit of unity. I would go as far as saying anything you and your spouse disagree on should not be spoken about outside your marriage until you have come to a resolution unless you are doing so to seek counsel. Constantly replaying your frustrations about your spouse to people around you is the opposite of quiet patience. 
+++
For example, a few years ago my husband planned softball practice ON. MOTHER’S. DAY. Not only did he ruin my plans to relax on the sofa all afternoon, he set it up as a Mother/Daughter practice! Y’all, he wanted me to run, sweat, and get dirty.. on Mother’s Day. I was about 7 levels of ticked off and a few of the other moms commented that they were not interested in participating in this little adventure. It took every ounce of my self-control to not word vomit my anger about my husband on these other moms. But with the spirit of unity in mind, I kept my mouth closed and I pushed through. Much to my surprise, I ended up enjoying the practice, thus bringing us into agreement on the situation. 
+++
The point of this story; singular disagreements don’t end marriages, but a continued spirit of division and contention have a way of killing every good thing between two people. Scripture reminds us that a house divided against itself will fall. Unity is paramount and worth giving great attention. 
+++
Read Ephesians 4:2-3, Matthey 12:25, Proverbs 13:10