Overloaded family schedules … underfunded bank accounts … mountains of maintenance stuff that needs to be done around the house … parenting pressures … not to mention the little bit of stress that we import from our day jobs … all take a toll on our marriage and family relationships.
The negative effects of stress are obvious … we get barky and snarky … we retreat … we eat … we blame … we feel overwhelmed … we are tired … irritable and yes we have a headache! We’re in a bad place and we want to get out of there quickly … but we’re not sure how … so let’s look at some ways we can deal with the stress in our marriages.
The first thing we want to do is make time to sit down in a relaxing place to talk about what both of you are experiencing and feeling. During this conversation make a list of the things that are stressing you out. Attack the issues not your beloved … and be sure to apologize and forgive each other and to reaffirm your love for one another.
Second … Prioritize your list … which items are creating the most stress for both of you? Which ones are most important? … Which ones can wait? … which ones can we delegate to someone else?
Third, now develop a strategy for tackling the tasks on your list. Assign items and look for ways to share the load it will make things easier. Keep your expectations reasonable …
Now spend some time praying together … ask God to help you discern what to do to ease the stress in your lives and to help you stay committed to your marriage. Let Him know your needs. Philippians 4:19 tells us that “God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Be sure to set a time to touch base after you have successfully tackled some items … to tweak your plans and to celebrate your victories! …
