What does commitment in marriage mean to you?
Is it just about you and your partner holding hands as you work on the street? Or is it about taking care of all the needs of your marriage?
Commitment in marriage means more than that.
One thing you should do to make your marriage successful is to learn how to be more committed to doing the necessary things you should do for your relationship to be successful.
Love is important to ensure that things work in your relationship, but love alone cannot do the magic. Love can make you have confidence in each other, but cannot make you trust each other.
I have also believed love is the greatest, I believed that love can conquer everything; I thought that just sharing your feelings is all one needs to make a relationship stronger. How dumb I was!
The truth is this: you love your partner so much, you buy gifts for him/her, you load his or her bank account with good money, but you have not made plans to make sacrifices for your marriage, then you have not started.
Let me tell you a little about love.
Love is good; but no matter how sweet it is, it is just one out of the many recipes you need for your marriage to succeed.
If you attach much importance to the feelings of love, I want you to understand that it can change at any moment, because there is a very thin line between love and hate.
If you think love is more important, then tell me how we can balance this news on television, newspapers, radio stations, and magazines about divorce.
Those two partners that are doing everything now to divorce were once in love, they lived together for years and now they think they are not meant for each other.
Love works better when it is mixed with commitment.
When a relationship is strong, it is not what we feel emotionally that makes it so, it is how committed we are to do the things that will make it work.
But what is this thing called commitment, and why is a commitment in marriage?
What is Commitment in marriage?
From my own, commitment in marriage is that point in a marriage where everyone feels secure with each other.
The ULCA campus psychologist after analyzing 175 married couples in their first 11 years of being married describes commitment in marriage as “when couples are willing to make some sacrifices in other to make their relationship strong.”
It is very easy to say you are committed to your marriage especially when things are going well. But what happens when things start changing?
Can you still stand your ground to say “I must do something to resolve this, what steps should I take to make my marriage stand again?
You must be willing
If you are willing to make sacrifices for your marriage, then one part of dealing with conflict is taken care of and you are more likely to have a stronger and lasting marriage.
Whenever there is a heated moment in a happy marriage, the happy couple instead of looking for who wins the argument immediately decides to settle the differences and move on with their relationship.
This is because they value their marriage more than anything else.
A lack of commitment in marriage:
Lack of commitment in marriage is the number one reason for breakups and divorce. (Tweet This)
You can easily know a marriage that lacks commitment when one of the partners or even both takes the other for granted.
Once that starts, all the feeling of oneness and emotional intimacy starts disappearing, and excuses and complaints begin.
That is when you will hear your partner saying that
- The whole work of the family is only on you: When the relationship is young, you do so many things with ease and happiness because you love your spouse and never want to offend him or her.
Now you have learned how to complain because you felt the load is on you. A more committed partner should do things because the marriage must move forward and keep complaining aside.
- That your schedule is so tight: You could not wait to be around your spouse, because you cherish every moment. Now you prefer to spend more time on work because you think when you come home early you will start the house chores.
- No time to discuss, this because I have some office work to do: Many couples quarrel whenever they want to discuss the family; because of that everybody wants to avoid quarrels by keeping a distance from each other.
When communication stops, more troubles start.
- The dishes are there waiting for me: Too many complaints in a relationship cause stress, and lack of commitment in marriage brings complaining in a marriage.
- I have to finish all am doing first before getting the fruits from the fruit store.
It is always very easy to produce excuses, but you must understand that giving excuses can be the best reason you have not seen your spouse as that special person you knew before.
If you want your marriage to stand firm during difficult times, and thrive better when things are good, then you must build a lasting relationship with your spouse through devotion and commitment.
But how can you develop this attitude? How can you be more committed to your marriage and also encourage your spouse to do the same too?
True Meanings of commitment in marriage.
1) Make Your Marriage Your Number One Priority:
Another meaning of commitment in marriage is to make your marriage a priority.
It’s important to value your marriage more and make it occupy the first position in your heart. If your marriage is important to you, you will devote all your time to making it work.
The bible says “For where the treasure of a man is, there his heart will also be; Mathew 6: 21, and the bible also says “Any man who honors his wife, will al honored by God.
Where Did You Place Your Marriage?
How important is it to you?
Look back to the past days, weeks, and months, and think about how much time you devoted to your partner.
What can you say you have done over the past few days that can give your spouse the confidence to trust you more as a partner? If you are not sure how to start, then follow these steps. : )
Let other things go and hold fast to your marriage:
Many times we tend to forget so many things we want to do, even our marriage could sometimes be neglected, and however, you can stand your ground and be sure your marriage is not on the list.
The easiest way to do this is to plan from the very beginning that your marriage will be held in great esteem.
I always suggest you write down those things on paper just like you are writing your company’s mission statement, but this one is called a marriage statement.
2) Be Very Strict With Bedtimes:
If you are home with your partner in the evening, then being very strict with going to bed at the same time, will create a good time for you to have quality time together, and quality time with your spouse builds intimacy.
Couples use those times to plan their marriage, discuss what to do more, and what to give up so the marriage will prosper more.
3) Be Connected Even When You Are Not Together:
Thanks to technology; you have no reason to give why you should not reach your partner when he or she is not with you. Send love messages to your spouse.
Call home often to know how everyone is fairing. That’s what commitment in marriage is about.
Stay Firm To Your Words:
Take a bold step and tell your spouse how you are being more committed to your marriage and how you are ready to be that way for the rest of your life.
Saying this boldly to every member of your family; both the kids will bring courage and trust to them and will compel everyone to be careful of their actions too.
4) Create The Type Of Marriage You Want:
The success or failure of your marriage depends on you and your spouse, and that means you should do everything you have to make it work.
However, you should not continue waiting for your spouse to change, take proper steps to create the type of change you want by doing those things you have not been doing.
Spend more time with each other, talk nicely with each other, and have good sex. Start understanding your spouse once more.
5) Set Healthy Marital Boundaries:
We are surrounded by laws and rules and some of them are there to make us feel protected. It will be good if we set rules and boundaries that will protect our marriage/ relationships too.
These boundaries should be there to help us, strengthen us, and keep us safe.
One important thing about a relationship/marriage is that both spouses can set boundaries together and one way to do that is to have a chit-chat with your partner and talk about the things that should be taken out or restored in your marriage.
Try and write down those boundaries in a notebook; that will remind you when you are crossing your limits.
6) Make Your Partner Your Soul Mate:
If you want to enjoy more marital happiness, then you must make your spouse your best friend.
Friendship can be compared to a garden; it has to be cultivated and nurtured. It may not work immediately unless you are persistent enough to make it work.
7) Be Your Spouse’s Friend:
Being your spouse’s friend will help to build intimacy between you and will make everyone more relaxed and secure in the relationship. You will only notice that your marriage is blossoming faster than you think.
If you want to feel a deeper sense of joy and love in your marriage, you should try making your spouse your best friend and not like a husband/wife.
If you are not sure how to start, then these points will guide you.
8) Develop A Special Interest In Your Spouse Once More:
After some time in marriage, the love seems to wax cold; but you can renew the love and start seeing your spouse like the same person you fall in love with and also like the one you got married to.
Develop new interest in whatever concerns your partner. Remember, when you are newly married, all you want to know are those things that will make him/her feel happy.
You were always there in whatever circumstances because you want to give those words of wisdom that will live your spouse up in the spirit.
Why not start it all over again? It will help you move forward as a couple.
9) Have Your Spouse’s Back All The Time:
One of the things that makes a marriage successful is when couples do things as a team when you are there to protect each other and stand your ground for each other.
Your spouse will always feel secure when he or she realizes that you are always there.
Whenever you see someone making some nasty comments against your spouse, just step in immediately and let your spouse know you are fighting for him or her.
10) Know And Speak Your Spouse’s Language:
Understanding your spouse’s love language is crucial for a thriving relationship.
Commitment in marriage involves actively learning what makes your partner feel cherished and then consistently incorporating those gestures into your daily interactions.
It’s a reciprocal process—communicate openly about each other’s needs, fostering a deeper connection.
If uncertain, don’t hesitate to ask, as genuine curiosity and responsiveness contribute to building a strong foundation for enduring commitment in marriage.
Rounding Up:
As I am rounding up this article, I want you to understand that love is very important when you want your marriage to succeed, but if you want your relationship to be stronger and happier, then learn what being committed in marriage stands for.
So think about those things you have not been doing before and start doing them now and watch your marriage change. Think about ways to be more committed to your marriage.
Most of all, start immediately to put all you have learned from this article to work; the only thing that can stop you from enjoying more marital success is if you do not discipline yourself to put these into practice.
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