Sometimes, relationships can be very hard work, and sometimes it seems like the easiest thing to do is to just stop trying and walk away. However, it’s important to remember that even the best of relationships have rough patches, and giving up easily can mean that you will miss out on the best thing in your life.

If you don’t invest the energy into a relationship to make it work, you may end up losing your other half.

“The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice. Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult. An honest witness tells the truth, but a false witness tells lies. The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment. Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy.” —Proverbs 12:15-20, NIV

Those who are wise and prudent know that investing quality efforts into maintaining and growing a relationship will pay off in the end with a beautiful marriage that is strong and can weather any storm.

Investing in your marriage also includes investing in yourself, as well as your thoughts and actions. You cannot expect anything to get better if you are not willing to put in the effort to better yourself!

By taking the time to try and be a more loving and understanding person yourself, you are laying the groundwork for a loving marriage with strong foundations. 

One of the easiest ways to invest in your marriage is to talk to other married couples whom you admire  talk to them about how they have stayed happy and true to one another over the course of their relationship. They, too, will tell you that it is not an easy task, but they may have some good advice for you that you may not have thought of on your own about loving for your spouse.

Much of what you can do to invest in your marriage’s health involves being more mindful of your words and what you say to your spouse.

Before speaking, you should always think about if what you are about to say will be hurtful and see if there is a better way of stating what you want, or if you truly think that it is necessary. If your words will be more harmful than helpful and the main reason for saying them is only to make you feel better, not to benefit your spouse, then it is best to keep those comments to yourself.

This doesn’t mean that communication isn’t key to making a marriage into a great partnership, but it does mean that you should make sure that your words are always thoughtful and meditated on. Proverbs says that “the words of the reckless pierce like swords,” and if you are reckless in your speech or actions toward your spouse, you can damage what could otherwise be a wonderful relationship.

If your spouse has an annoying habit or quirk that you just can’t stand, try to bring it up gently rather than showing your annoyance outright. Small irritations, when not addressed in a rational and peaceful fashion, can spur on large and disproportionate arguments. These arguments can cause rifts to form that, if not addressed with honesty, grace and love, can cause harm that you may not be able to overcome without much assistance. 

Your marriage is one of the most important relationships you will have on this earth, and to make it last a lifetime, you will have to work at it. You will get out of the marriage what you put into it, and the more effort you put into making your relationship with your spouse something special, the more precious it will become  to the two of you and to your family and friends who surround you and benefit from such a strong relationship. 

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