This post originally appeared at https://wifamilycouncil.org/radio/intentional-effort-results-in-enduring-marriage-connection/
An Institute for Family Studies report found that enduring connection in marriage results more from the intentional efforts of the spouses than it does from spontaneous love and emotional spark. This finding stands in stark contrast to the sixty percent of Americans who believe they have a “one-and-only soulmate” waiting for them somewhere. This type of thinking often diminishes the significance of individual agency and intentional actions in healthy relationships—which makes loving and lasting marriages less likely to be formed and sustained.
The study found that marriages with the highest satisfaction are those in which the spouses spend meaningful time together, do acts of kindness for each other, and forgive offenses. Flourishing marriages are true partnerships in which spouses are devoted to creating a shared life together that honors God and His design for family. As always, God’s way is the best way.
Julaine Appling