It’s common for married couples to have high expectations of one another. But, it’s also common for those expectations to be unmet. Unmet expectations can result in anger, sadness, and resentment, all of which put a strain on your marriage. In order to overcome unmet expectations and conflicts that emerge over the course of your relationship, you and your spouse must be both resilient and willing to extend forgiveness.
Forgiveness is an essential part of all healthy relationships, and resilience helps us bounce back from hard times. In order to come back from conflict stronger than before, forgiveness is an absolute requirement. The two characteristics go hand-in-hand, and must be diligently practiced to maintain a healthy marriage.
Here are 7 articles about forgiveness and restoring harmony to your marriage.
1. 3 Reasons Radical Forgiveness Is A Must In Marriage
You’ve probably heard it said that marriage is simply the unity of two good forgivers and we’ve found that to be true many times over. And, in our experience helping thousands of couples, we’ve found that the ability to forgive is a component in all successful marriages.
Being in such a close relationship with another fallible human means you’ll disappoint one another. But if you can both forgive freely, you’ll bounce back from disappointment stronger than before. Click here to read more.
2. For Better Or For Worse: Dealing With Tough Times In Marriage
Navigating difficult times in marriage comes with the territory. The good news is, hard times make you stronger, and you and your spouse CAN come out better on the other side. The trick is hanging on through that hard season. Read more here.
3. 3 Ways To Reconcile After A Conflict
Sometimes, a fight between spouses can escalate into a divisive conflict. Emotions run high when each of you has a lot of skin in the game. But the most important goal is to overcome that divide and remain whole as a couple. Wondering how to reconcile with your spouse after a particularly intense conflict? Take a look here.
4. Ground Rules For Restoring Broken Trust
It can be hard to forgive a spouse after your trust has been broken. When a spouse has damaged the trust in a marriage, the rebuilding process takes patience and time. After all, the very foundation of your relationship has been shaken.
To restore trust, you must work together over time to reconnect and rebuild, and both of you will have a lot of work to do to get there. The good news is, your marriage can be healthy again. Learn more about restoring trust here.
5. Extended Conflict: 5 Tips For Overcoming A Stalemate
Are you and your spouse stuck in a conflict you just can’t seem to resolve? A stalemate can lead to friction in your relationship. Letting it simmer will only make things worse. Break that stalemate as soon as possible–we’ll show you how here.
6. 3 Reasons Why You Should Walk in Your Spouse’s Shoes
In marriage, as in all relationships, empathy is an absolute necessity. Taking a walk in one another’s shoes gives you the perspective you need to see things from their point of view. Being able to walk in your spouse’s shoes also makes you more resilient when disagreements and hard times come your way. Learn more here.
7. Dealing With Resentment In Your Marriage
Resentment poisons marriages. When you and your spouse exist in prolonged conflict–whether spoken or unspoken–it lays the groundwork for resentment to take hold. It’s important to root this out as soon as you can so you can freely forgive and live together in harmony. Learn how to overcome resentment here.
Forgiveness is the Key to Resilience
Developing resilience in your marriage depends on your ability to forgive your spouse for ways in which they may slight you. None of us is perfect, but holding one’s faults against them indefinitely will not help you overcome a difficult situation. Instead, be ready to forgive as Christ forgives, and create that environment of peace where you can thrive.
For more on conflict resolution and forgiveness, check out our resources: The Good Fight, for help resolving conflicts, and Love Like That, an in-depth guide to loving more like Jesus.
Do you and your spouse practice forgiveness? How has forgiving one another affected your level of resilience to tough times? Let us know in the comments.
Amen and forgiving family members, evil politicians etc.