I’ve learned that when we come into marriage we all have our own expectations and ideas about how the ideal marriage should work. We all want the same thing—a good marriage, a happy marriage, a lasting and fulfilling marriage—but we have different ideas on what gets us there.
My wife Stephana and I didn’t really talk about this before we got married, and it was years into our marriage before we began to do so. We got married and just went on expecting things to end up “happily ever after” because that’s what we both wanted, even though we didn’t discuss it. Nope, didn’t happen.
We soon began to realize the things I thought were most important and essential for our marriage to work weren’t always the things she saw. After plenty of mistakes, many frustrations, and much counsel we began to grow in this area and eventually learned what made it possible for us to have that good, happy, lasting and fulfilling marriage.
Recently, I wanted to find out what others thought made up a great marriage, or the ideal marriage. So, I sent out this question:
“What two words would you use to describe the ideal marriage?”
And just like with Stephana and myself, there were many different thoughts and opinions on how to have that “ideal marriage.” One person even said there is no ideal marriage, but “adventurous experiments.” After reading through all of the responses to my question, I decided to compile them in a list of 50 words that describe the ideal marriage.
- Compromise
- Dedication
- Humor-filled
- Christ-centered
- Respectful
- Godly
- Safe
- Effort
- Acceptance
- Great sex!
- Patience
- Perseverance
- Silly
- Loyalty
- Dedication
- Communication
- Honest
- Fun
- God-ordained
- Laughter
- Kindness
- Forgiving
- Understanding
- Passionate
- Gracious
- God
- Friendship
- Familiar
- Relaxed
- Faithfulness
- Truth
- Consistency
- Love
- Hope
- Commitment
- Sacrifice
- Open-minded
- God’s love
- Togetherness
- Oneness
- Best friends
- Partnership
- Self-awareness
- Partners
- God-sent
- Blessed
- Influential
- Grace-filled
- Caring
- Serving
Whether you agree or disagree with the words above, it helps to pose the question in your own marriage. Maybe you and your spouse are wanting the same thing, but not sure how to get there together. Understanding what makes the ideal marriage is a key to help you on this journey.
I encourage you to read this list together, discuss it, and make sure you are taking the steps toward your ideal marriage.
[reminder]What words would you use to describe the ideal marriage? Do these words describe your marriage now?[/reminder]
photo credit: Love birds via photopin (license)