I noticed the show Home Improvement the other day on Roku TV. The show’s main character is Tim “The Tool Man” who is the most accident-prone handyman on the planet. He plugs in the Christmas lights and almost electrocutes himself in the process. He flips the switch to demonstrate the newly installed vacuum system which slurps up the psychology paper that his wife stayed up all night to finish. Certainly, that didn’t help enrich his marriage! It was apparent in that show that he never read the instructions, which ruined almost everything he tried to fix.
Is it your aim to work toward enriching your marriage? Trying to build an enriched marriage can feel like Tim “The Tool Man,”can’t it? Things don’t work like they are supposed to work sometimes. That’s when we need to remember that we are not building our marriages alone. God not only supplied the blueprints in the Scriptures for enriching marriages, but He is also right there with us on the project. If you feel like your marriage isn’t working as it should, consider the following questions.
How much are you depending on God for your marriage?
Do you regularly consult His blueprint and talk to Him in prayer about it?
Who wears the foreman’s hat in your marriage?
Do you expect the other person to meet the deepest needs of your heart in your marriage? If so, you have placed an impossible burden on the person you love.
If something in your marriage is not working right, are you reluctant to face the truth about yourself, preferring to believe that it is your spouse who has a problem?
Most people would prefer a successful and fulfilling marriage to just happen by itself. Yet, a growing and enriching marriage requires effort and perseverance. God is still involved when it comes to every believer’s marriage, and He cares about the success of your marriage. God calls each marriage partner to work at their relationship with Him. That’s why it is so important to read the instructions (Ephesians 5:22-23 and especially vs. 28-29, 32).
