By Wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. Proverbs 24:3-4
Three foundational elements are needed to build a healthy home environment for marriage.
- Wisdom. By wisdom a house is built. Wisdom is ‘seeing with discernment’ or ‘having good judgement’. Discernment in marriage allows you to see beneath the surface of words and actions in both yourself and your spouse, and wisdom enables you to deal with circumstances and difficulties in a positive way.
- Understanding. Through understanding it is established. We are all fallible and inclined to sin, even when we don’t want to or mean to. Remembering this enables us to be loving and forgiving when things go wrong or we disagree about something. It is also important to be attentive to our own and our partner’s talents, giftings and motivations. This enables us to understand why we and our partner may act a certain way or prefer certain things. Eg. One may be an organizer and their partner may be a mercy person often bringing people home for meals without notice.
- Knowledge. This isn’t ‘head knowledge’. This is about learning what each partner needs. This type of knowledge means ‘I am listening’, ‘I am open to your hurts, needs and opinions’. ‘I am willing to learn how to change my bad habits’. ‘I am listening and learning about your hopes and dreams’.
If we focus on these three things, we will be well on the way to establishing a healthy home environment where both partners feel loved, appreciated and supported.
Time to flourish
Helen.