Healthy Marriages Defined
Legacy signals
Legacy popularity: 982 legacy views
First off, why did you get married anyway? Did you view it as something you just do because your momma or daddy did it? Did you dream about it when you were little and just wanted to do it because it seemed like fun? Did you do it because you were forced into it? Or, did you do it because you were commissioned by something far beyond what the natural eye can see? Think about it for a minute before reading on.
Remember this; no matter what your reason was for getting married, marriage is NOT perfect so you set yourself up for disappointment if you go into it thinking it will be a perfect fairytale relationship. However you should expect at the minimum, to achieve the goal you agreed to: marriage for life. When you said "I Do" you agreed to be with this person through the good, bad, happy, sad, rich, poor, sickness and well times. To do that effectively, you have to first understand why you got married, and then determine what you can do to ensure that you live up to the responsibilities of your role as a spouse.
You have been blessed to be bonded together with someone that you once thought the world of. Circumstances may have changed but your love has always been the key to the door of your marriage. How do you keep that key close to your heart and the door opened, when so much negativity towards the sanctity of marriage is prevalent in the world? It takes patience, commitment, love and accountability. Accountability is critical because you can only be accountable for what God wants you to do or be as a spouse. You can't make your spouse do or be something, but you can live a life in front of them that is pleasing to God, that could spark a change in them.
Although marriage is between two people, it is something that was ordained by God and He should be the one that binds it together. Make it a point to try and focus on your role and living up to what you need to do, and then watch how things change for the better in your spouse. It won't change ove
ight, but it will change. How will they change you ask? Well, when you change YOUR WAY OF THINKING and responding negatively to situations that you encounter in your marriage, the things your spouse is or isn't doing will actually be minuscule to you, because of your increased spiritual strength in God and His word.
If your marriage isn't healthy, it CAN be that way with some extra time and commitment to making it work. If it is already healthy, then continue to strive for ultimate health and share it with another couple that is struggling in their marriage. Why? Remember this, each one, should teach one, to mentor one and preserve marriages!
copyright (c) 2008-2010
Article author
About the Author
Dawgelene has a passion for speaking, writing and motivating others to reach higher heights, which has spanned the past 15+ years. She strives to motivate others to press forward with a passion for achieving their goals, and maximizing their potential in every area of their lives. She has worked providing leadership mentoring, motivation, organizational development, and technical knowledge to organizations, small business owners, universities, and entrepreneurs.
Dawgelene brings a powerful and empowering message, using emphasis and passion to bring the listener's vision to life, and inspiring them to succeed in their endeavors towards positive life changes.
Her writings focus on motivational words of wisdom that inspire hope and vision in their readers, and encourage them to take action on leading a better life. She has published numerous motivational and relationship articles, developed several leadership and motivation workshops, and authored Behold You: Change From Within, and Give That Man RESPECT- 7 Principles on Respecting Your Husband books. Finally, she has an internet radio show on blogtalkradio.com that airs every Tuesday from 11:00pm- 11:15pm CST.
Dawgelene holds a B.A. in business management, an M.A. in I/O Psychology, and is currently pursuing her doctorate in Organizational Leadership.
Further reading
Further Reading
Video
The Science of Motivation: What Actually Drives Us
A research-backed overview of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and how to use both.
March 29, 2026
Video
Learn to Be a Winner — Even When Life Goes Sideways
Les Brown delivers an electrifying talk on building unshakeable motivation in the face of setbacks.
March 29, 2026
Article
3.4 Protect your mind from shallowness
Some years ago I had the privilege of being a judge at a regional Miss America pageant. You probably know that Miss America pageants are not just about beauty but also intellect. Besides the various beauty related events, the contestants were brought before the Judges one at a time to answer any question we asked. One of the judges asked each of the ladies to tell about the most recent book she had read. Many of them had good answers. One of them replied, Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss.
Related piece
Article
How to Build a Value-Based Sales Team
The emphasis on value based selling is more important than ever before. With the recent economic climate, finding and selling prospects has become a greater challenge for many sales organizations. As a result, some have seen a slowdown in growth and meeting objectives. For this reason, the key is making certain your offering is better than that of the competition. This can be accomplished by building a sales team that focuses on selling value to clients. Why Value-Based Selling is Importantr
Related piece