Laughing, Loving and Lasting With Your Spouse

Is happiness in marriage attainable?

A lot of couples don’t think so.

Author Kevin Thompson says, “Absolutely!”

The catch is that couples can’t make happiness the goal. Happiness is the byproduct of an even greater objective. Connecting at a soul level. “And the two shall become one flesh” (Matthew 19:5).

How?

By working through challenges together.

Kevin’s grandparents were happily married for 70 years. People often suggested that they were “lucky” to achieve that success. They were quick to point out that they were together despite their circumstances. They were born in poverty, married at an early age, served in the military, and struggled to raise children on a small salary. Their love wasn’t luck, it was commitment and hard work.

On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Laughing, Loving, and Lasting with Your Spouse,” Kevin shares his list of eight commitments that infuse a marriage with life, all based on the Beatitudes:

Humble yourself.
Embrace the hurt.
Avoid both apathy and aggression.
See marriage as bigger than you.
Refuse power struggles.
Live in truth.
Make peace.
Endure whatever may come.

To help your marriage discover deep, life-giving happiness, listen to my conversation with Kevin on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or take us with you on our free phone app.

While you’re on our website, why not take a few moments to try our free Marriage Assessment online tool? It will help you quickly determine what’s working well in your relationship and identify areas where you may need some improvement.

Kevin Thompson is the lead pastor at Community Bible Church in Fort Smith, Arkansas, who counsels with couples, and speaks at marriage and parenting conferences. His book Happily: 8 Commitments of Couples Who Laugh, Love & Last is available for a gift of any amount. Call 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459) for more information or click here.