One of the most powerful ways you demonstrate your love for one another is the willingness to change. To recognize in yourself an attitude or behavior that hurts your spouse, and to choose to change is a dramatic way to show your spouse that you value them and your marriage relationship above yourself.
In the article 5 Things Every Married Couple Should Do, author Debra Fileta offers some practical suggestions for improving your marriage. Some of these may require change on your part. Here is an excerpt:
Connect Spiritually
Oftentimes, believing couples tend to take their spiritual connection for granted, forgetting that some of the most intimate moments in marriage are when we’re sharing our hearts, communicating what’s in our spirit, and interacting about our relationship with God.
Communicate Regularly
If you want to do something small that will have a big impact on your marriage, set aside 10-20 minutes a day sitting face to face with your spouse, for the sole purpose of communicating. Don’t let this be the time to discuss conflict or problems, but just a time to catch up and keep up with one another.
Touch Often
Physical touch conveys to your spouse that: I notice you, I desire you, and I want to be near you.
Confess and Forgive Frequently
The couples I see in my practice who are highly satisfied in marriage, are not the ones who have the least amount of disagreement, but the ones who have the most forgiveness.
“Get Away” Weekly
What you’re doing matters so much less than who you’re doing it with. Rekindle your love for one another, by rekindling your friendship.
These may seem like small things, but they are all meaningful and purposeful. Would adding any of these things to your relationship require change? Be willing to change for the sake of your marriage.