Week 3: Marriage as a Partnership
Read Time: 3.1 min
Successful marriages are the result of forming a partnership where both the husband and wife not only share a common vision for the future but equally share in the benefits of the relationship.
Vision is a goal, a hope, an expectation. Vision in marriage is what you want to accomplish together. To be effective in achieving a vision, spouses must act in unison regarding the direction for the marriage.
Burdened with the liability of not sharing a common vision, a marriage can reach a destination for which neither partner is prepared. Married couples must commit to first establishing and then to sustaining a common vision for their life together.
Other liabilities in a marriage partnership are emotional. Unlike a business partnership where shared liabilities involve money, paying down an emotional lability in marriage involves both partners “owning up“ to their portion of what is due.
Where in business what is tendered to reduce a liability is cash, in a marriage partnership the currency used is honesty, transparency, vulnerability, and forgiveness. Using this emotional currency, the liabilities in a marriage can be reduced while producing a dividend of trust and understanding.
Being in a partnership entails bearing an equal responsibility for any liabilities that exist. Not every couple will be able to reach on their own the level of self-awareness and mutual understanding that will be necessary to reduce or eliminate the liabilities in their marriage partnership. They will need help. Where help is not required from professionals who can provide facilitated and therapeutic assistance, couples can confer with other couples who have
mature and stable marriages. Other resources for self-help are listed on the Resources link of the Coaching: Life Matters website.
Where in business what is tendered to reduce a liability is cash, in a marriage partnership the currency used is honesty, transparency, vulnerability, and forgiveness.
Some Things To Do For The Week
Day 2: Reflect on the message and scripture reading; journal if you like
Day 3: Pray for or meditate on what you think you need
Day 4: Discuss the message and scripture with your spouse
Day 5: Plan how you can best respond to the message
Day 6: Rest; don’t think about the message or the scripture; listen in the stillness
Day 7: Recommit yourself to your marriage
Applicable scripture listed under Discussion References.