Priorities in Marriage
by Dr. Gary Chapman  

Is your family one of your top priorities?  Believing that God established marriage and family as the most basic unit of society makes family extremely important.   

Within family relationships, we recognize that the marriage relationship is more fundamental than the parent-child relationship.  Marriage is a lifelong, intimate relationship, whereas most children will eventually leave their parents and establish their own marriages.   

The quality of the marriage is also important because it greatly affects the parent-child relationship.

If family is one of my top priorities, then how will that affect the way I spend my time, money, and energy?   

When I am loving my wife by "acts of service" I am also doing something for my children.  I'm setting for them a model which I hope they will remember when they get married.  One of the most important things you can do for your children is to love and serve your spouse.  Nothing creates a more secure environment for children than seeing Mom and Dad loving each other.  Today, let your children see you loving your spouse.

Article written by Dr. Gary Chapman.  Based on the book, Now You're Speaking My Language by Gary Chapman. Published by Broadman and Holman. For a complete listing of Dr. Chapman's books and resources, click here.     

Intimacy and Trust
by Dr. Gary Chapman 

It all began in the mind of God: one man and one woman intimately related to each other.  So intimate that they could be considered "one flesh".  The Bible says that Adam and Eve were "naked and had no shame" - totally transparent - no fear of knowing each other.   

But all of that changed when they sinned.  Now they are covering themselves with fig leaves.  Afraid to be known, afraid to be seen.

This is a graphic picture of what happens in our marriages.  In the early days, we are totally open with each other.  We want to know and be known.  We share freely, not only our bodies, but our histories, our likes and dislikes.  We feel that no matter what we share about ourselves, the other will continue to love us.  We are both committed to building this intimacy forever... but then something happens.

One of us lets the other down, treats the other with harshness, and the distance develops.  The intimacy evaporates and we find ourselves hiding from each other.   

This week, we'll discover the road back to the paradise of marital intimacy.

Article taken directly from the book,  Now You're Speaking My Language by Gary Chapman. Published by Broadman and Holman.   

Ephesians 4:32

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.