Growing Your Marriage While a Spouse Is Away: 6 Ways to Protect Your MarriageSample

Stay In the Word There is nothing that has helped me combat my no-good, selfish, prideful, self-serving tendencies like staying in the Word and knowing that he is doing the same. We are lucky enough to have a church that has a reading plan for the congregation to read through the Bible together. That accountability to stay in the Word and to consistently meditate on it, as Joshua 1:8 instructs, has been powerful in keeping me tied to the only One who can truly make my marriage what it should be. You’ve heard “you are what you eat,” well I think your marriage is a perfect example of that. If I’m digging into the world rather than the Word, my marriage will be sluggish and unhealthy. But if I am consuming life-giving, hope-sustaining, God-breathed encouragement that will reflect that in the way I interact with my spouse. As we read in 2 Timothy, the scripture will challenge and shape our minds and hearts. Get in the Word. Do it together. Hold each other accountable, and in turn protect your mind, your peace, and ultimately your marriage. If you don’t have a reading plan from your church or small group, find a YouVersion plan to do together! I know that time away from your spouse looks different for every couple. My husband has a military and civilian job that both require a good bit of travel. Some trips I can talk to him as much as I want, other times I sit by the phone in hopeful expectation that I’ll hear from him. So, some of these may look different for you depending on your circumstances. My heart for you and your marriage is that regardless of how often you are able to talk or text, that you protect your mind and your heart from anything that could further add to the stress of the physical distance you are already walking through. I am praying that you remember the value of your spouse and the value of what God did when He brought the two of you together. More than anything, I am praying that you remember your feelings are indicators but they don’t always align with truth. So, when you are feeling like life works better in their absence and that the “freedom” that comes with their departure soon becomes something you expectantly look forward to, you can run to the Word and remember that your marriage is worth protecting whether your spouse is in the next room or across the country. Today’s challenge: Pick out a new YouVersion Plan to do with your spouse and begin doing it. Make a plan of when you will share with each other about what God is teaching you through his word. Prayer: Lord, help us to be Christ-centered spouses that find our hope in you alone. Help us to grow in your Word and in your spirit so that we can better serve our spouse and marriage regardless of distance. We want you at the center of all things! Resource : Looking for other great ways to grow as a couple? Sign up for Dr. Kim’s [ Marriage Multiplier ](https://awesomemarriage.com/marriage-multiplier) to get marriage inspiration every week that is easy to digest and impactful to your marriage. When you sign up for Marriage Multiplier each week you'll receive an email (or text) from Dr. Kim that will include 4 simple things: 1 Idea From Dr. Kim, 1 Marriage Challenge for you to complete that week, 1 Marriage Resource to highlight, 1 Marriage Question to strengthen your marriage. [ You can learn more and sign up here. ](https://awesomemarriage.com/marriage-multiplier)