By Daniel Fleet

Your marriage is a wonderful and unique gift that God has entrusted to you. God teaches us that the relationship you have with your spouse is to be exclusive and enjoyed! It’s easy for life to get busy, and often one of the first things placed on the backburner is our marital relationship. I want to encourage you today to stop and take inventory of your marriage and be sure that you’re doing the following:

Prioritize your marriage

Between our commitment to our kids, extended family, church, school, and work it’s easy to misplace value on the most important human relationship in our life. Coach John Wooden said, “The best thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” It’s important to love your kids and value them, but don’t sacrifice your marriage in the process. When the marriage relationship is right the children often fall into place. Be sure that your marriage is at the top of your food chain!

Plan your marriage

Planning is a fundamental key to success. Confucius once said, “A man who does not plan long ahead will find trouble at his door.” If successful people are people who plan, why not plan your marriage?  Plan to spend time with your spouse each week, plan to say something special to them when you greet each other after work, and plan several times together throughout the year for the two of you to connect.

Protect your marriage

Make sure that your marriage is an exclusive relationship that you protect. I may be old school in my thinking but I believe that intimate conversations should be reserved for your spouse. It has been proven that self-disclosure is a gateway to intimacy. Make your spouse feel special by reserving parts of your heart only for them.

Spring is a great time of year to take stock of your marriage and recommit yourself to your spouse. Schedule a date night soon and love the mate God has blessed you with!