One of the fun things about blogging is meeting ministry partners virtually.  One such ministry partner is Elizabeth Winn with Living Well Ministry.  Her post is one that will remind you of a simple yet vitally important component to marriage.  To read more from Elizabeth and Living Well you can visit her blog here.

A few weeks ago while ringing up a woman at work, she commented on my wedding ring. I told her it was a gift from my husband for our 25th wedding anniversary. She surprised me by asking, “What do you think is the one thing that gets you to 25 years of marriage?”

Without giving it a lot of thought, I heard myself answering her, “I think simply being kind to one another goes a long way to making a marriage strong.”

Later, as I thought about my response, I wondered if it would’ve been different had I had more time to think on it. Certainly I could’ve come up with something more substantial to say about making a marriage last than being kind to one another. It just seemed like such a simple answer to such an important question.

But important things are not always complicated. They can be very simple. Like being kind, in words and actions, to the one human being who knows you best.

In Ephesians 4:32, Paul admonishes us to

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

God’s heart for our marriage relationship is that it be a safe haven of kindness and compassion for us in life. In the world, we are knocked around and bruised, but because of marriage, we come home to the one person who can extend God’s love and kindness to us.

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One day, not too long ago, I came home from work and Sean greeted me in the kitchen with a hug and these words, ”There is my favorite person on the planet.”

I cannot describe to you what those words did for me. They went deep within my soul and have stayed with me for weeks. Kind words. They are one of the most powerful tools we have in our marriage relationship.

All we have to do is choose to use them. This takes intention, as does kind actions.

We have over ten decorative pillows on our bed. I know… ridiculous. It’s quite a production to make the bed each morning and unmake it every evening. This past week, I was exhausted from a long day and was about to get up and go into bed. I jokingly whined to Sean, “Hooonnney, go take the pillows off the bed for me!!”He answered with a kiss on my temple…”It’s all done and ready for you.”

Kind actions. Simple, yet powerful.

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If you have ever wondered why some marriages make it and some marriages don’t, I think you will find the answer in the way a couple chooses to treat each other.

Question: Are you a kind spouse? Would your spouse use the word “kind” to describe how you treat him/her?

Marriage is all about witnessing the life of one person. There are billions of people on the planet, yet we are called to notice and make a difference in the life of one. Like the song says, “Make someone happy, just one someone happy, and you will be happy too.”

Today, choose kindness and make a difference in the life of your One. God will smile and your marriage will be all He intended.

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