As the bride takes in the fanfare, glitz, excitement, and anxiety on her big day, what can those close to her do to help her sail through the day and, better still, to fortify her marriage? We are glad you asked - you can pray for her.
God wants two people who are dedicated to each other, themselves, and God. Anything else cause disillusionment—and ultimately—heartbreak—if they disagree. If you encounter any of the above issues in your relationship, breaking off the engagement before it's too late is best.
If you feel yourself getting stressed, do what your schedule—and budget—will allow to relieve it. Stress wreaks havoc physically, mentally, and emotionally if gone unchecked. If you feel stressed for a long period, it may only cause health problems that interfere with your special day.
There should be wise people in your circle of influence you are certain only have your best interest at heart. Maybe all your family and friends will not be convinced that the person you are considering marrying is the right person for you, but if everyone you trust is saying, “I don’t see it,” you might want to pump the brakes for a minute.
Marriage is serious. God takes it seriously, and so should we. But in an age where weddings take up more conversation time than marriage itself, it’s easy to jump into an engagement on a wave of infatuation without asking some hard questions.
Starry-eyed, smiling couples often ask us, “How long should an engagement last?” To give a complete answer, we need to look at the biblical principles of relationships:
What fears or societal changes might be getting in the way of marriage, and what are those of us desiring to marry at some point supposed to do about it? Here are four of the biggest fears about marriage (and how to overcome them).
Some consequences include dealing with the possibility of pregnancy, acquiring or sharing a sexually transmitted disease, and the most underrated --but possibly most impacting--are the emotional issues that sexually active teens struggle with and take into their marriage.
One of the most consistent themes that emerges in counseling young couples is the dramatic difference between the time and money that was invested in their wedding compared to the time and money that was invested in preparing for the rest of their lives together.
Through counseling and discussing the covenant of marriage, my husband relearned the depth of God’s love for him and the forgiveness and grace he doesn’t deserve but is freely given.
Conventional wisdom encourages young people to wait until their 30s to marry, but new research finds that the lowest divorce rates are among religious adults who married in their 20s and did not cohabitate.
You will figure out what habits grow you closer together, what activities keep you feeling connected, and how you manage communication and disagreements. Take advice, but don't treat it as inerrant Scripture; give yourselves grace if your experiences don't match those of others.
But when couples have sex before they are married, the dating process gets marred. Sober judgment goes out the window. Sexual intimacy births an overpowering emotional intimacy between couples.
Remind us that the rest of our lives are not determined by this day and this wedding ceremony. Today's success is not the point. The point is what comes after this ceremony - the days, weeks, months, and years to come.
