Forgiveness and conflict resolution are crucial components of good communication. That’s true not only in marriage, but across all your relationships. To build a happy marriage with true, lifelong love, you’ll need to be able to not only solve conflicts that arise; you’ll also need to be willing to forgive one another. In this final part of our four-part series on better communication, we’re focusing on how to lovingly resolve conflict and forgive often. Ready to learn more? Let’s jump into it. Listen With Empathy When working through a conflict, it’s important to listen to one another with empathy. Understanding…
How you and your spouse interact with one another largely determines the health of your marriage. Whether you’re resolving conflict or simply engaging in regular communication, it’s so important for the two of you to pay close attention to how you affect each other. Knowing your effect on your spouse starts with being self-aware. In communication, your self-awareness can help you understand whether you’re often more responsive or reactive when you communicate. Responding well to your spouse, rather than reacting to them, can make all the difference in your daily interactions, and especially during conflict resolution. In this article, we’re…
Do you and your spouse disagree on politics, social issues, or other deeply-held beliefs? As individuals, we’re deeply impacted by how we see the world around us. Maybe we’re passionate about certain issues or causes, and we don’t necessarily see eye-to-eye with our spouse. Sometimes, these beliefs and opinions could be totally at odds. We’ve all experienced and observed heated conversations and disagreements about political and social issues. These exchanges can leave us feeling upset and depleted. If you’ve found yourself in that position with your spouse, it can be incredibly uncomfortable. The question is, can spouses with different political…
It’s no secret that married couples fight. Regardless of how long you and your spouse have been together, you will disagree with one another from time to time. But did you know that it’s possible for couples to fight a “good fight?” Couples often come to us to ask how to have a good fight. It seems counterproductive, doesn’t it? Shouldn’t couples aim to avoid fighting instead? Not necessarily. The truth is, working through conflict can actually make your relationship stronger. 4 Essential Components of a Healthy Fight There are several essential ingredients that couples must have to navigate disagreements…
When you marry, your family grows–sometimes exponentially. An expanding family means that suddenly, you and your spouse might have many more holiday obligations than you can realistically commit to. If this happens, how do you decide who to visit during the holidays? Conflicts over who to visit during the holiday season are common among couples, especially newlyweds who are trying to create balance. Navigating and negotiating holiday visits can be stressful, so it’s important to approach the subject gently. You love one another and want to build new traditions for the family you’re creating. But, you also love celebrating your…
“Coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” – Henry Ford We often talk about how fighting a “good fight” can actually bring spouses closer together. A well-managed conflict can shed light on areas of your relationship that need strengthening. It also gives the two of you a chance to solve problems as a team. But sometimes, conflict gets messy. We might fail to listen to our spouse, say hurtful things, or otherwise escalate a solvable issue. When this happens, you both need to know how to take a step back, then take steps to…
Changing careers is daunting. No matter what stage of life you’re in, a career change can be especially disruptive to your normal routine. Depending on whether you’re making a major job change or starting an entirely new career, this situation can look different. It won’t be the same for every couple. If you need help supporting your spouse through a career change, we’ve got you covered. The most important thing is to stick together through the process. Now, let’s jump into how to do that. 1. Set Realistic Expectations Early On You and your spouse need to expect that making…
The idea of resolving a disagreement or ending a fight as quickly as possible is a popular one, particularly in marriage. But what if the fight lasts a long time? Is it okay to take a break when that happens, or do you have to push through? When you’re in the midst of an argument with your spouse, it feels highly uncomfortable. It’s natural that you’d want to resolve the disagreement and get back to normal as soon as you can. But sometimes, it takes longer than you’d expect to resolve a challenging issue. And sometimes, that means you’ll need…
Many Christian couples are highly uncomfortable with the idea of disagreeing with one another, much less fighting outright. For many people in the church, the idea of conflict in their marriages is crippling. A common question we’ve been asked is, is fighting allowed in a Christian marriage? The truth is, getting into disagreements and arguments is a common challenge every couple faces. While it’s not inherently wrong to fight, it’s how you fight that dictates whether you’ll be able to solve the problem at hand. So fighting, in and of itself, isn’t necessarily wrong in a Christian marriage; it’s whether…
Marriage typically tends to produce more anger than other relationships. Perhaps this is because spending so much time with another person naturally generates more opportunities to become angry. We also put down our guard with our spouse — the person we love most. While being vulnerable and unguarded allows for greater intimacy, it also opens the door to more anger and frustration. Although every married couple will experience anger toward one another, it should still be kept in check. After all, how we manage our emotions directly affects our relationships, particularly the closest ones. Add disappointment, unmet expectations, and other…