A couple has to yearn and learn excellent qualities for their marriage. All couples start from zero experience in marriage. One has to learn and learn well.

1. EXCELLENT
QUALITIES OF
MARRIAGE
A couple has to yearn and learn excellent
qualities for their marriage. All couples start
from zero experience in marriage. One has to
learn and learn well.
Wednesday,
June 11, 2014
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2.  So much has been said and
written about marriage—much of it
rather complicated or seemingly
contradictory—that I was curious
as to what Jesus would have to say
on the subject. He has such a
wonderful way of explaining things
simply, clearly, and positively that I
was sure He could put things inWednesday, June 11, 2014
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3.  So I asked Him to summarize some
of the excellent qualities of
marriage, and He did.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
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4.  Marriage wasn't meant to be so
complicated or difficult that only a
few could do it successfully. It's
within the reach of nearly
everyone. It's also what will make
most people happiest and their
lives most meaningful, productive,
and satisfying, because it's a basic
part of God's plan for mankind.Wednesday, June 11, 2014
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5.  No one excels in all of the
following areas, of course, so
don't be discouraged if you feel
you fall short in some. Just do
your best and ask God to help you
with the rest.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
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6. 1. Putting God First
 It's a spiritual law that when you
put your time with God first, both
alone and with your husband or
wife, everything else falls into
place. "Seek first the kingdom of
God and His righteousness, and all
these things shall be added to
you" (Matthew 6:33).
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
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7. 2. Unselfishness.
 Avoid selfishness. Selfishness is
at the root of most marriage
problems. For a marriage to work,
both partners need to put the
happiness of the other before their
own. That's real love—the kind
that lasts.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
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8.  God wants to see you succeed in
marriage and as individuals, and
He is the Answer. He can make
mountains of problems melt away.
 We have to put our trust in God for
God to have His way in our
marriages.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
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9. 3. Willingness to recognize and
work on problems.
 Most of the problems that sink
marriages start small but grow out
of hand because the couple fails to
deal with the problems soon
enough. Often they tell themselves
that the problem will go away if
they ignore it or when
circumstances change, but that
passive approach seldom works.Wednesday, June 11, 2014
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10.  Those with the strongest
marriages are those who learn to
face their problems head-on and
take active steps to overcome
them together.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
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11. 4. Good communication.
 In order to understand and meet
each other's needs, as well as to
unite to overcome problems, good
communication is a must.
 Communication is key to marriage
success. Bad communication
results in poor marriage.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
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12. 5. Forgiveness
 Without forgiveness, the marriage
is bound to flop. We must
continually and always forgive.
 A readiness to forgive is a key to a
solid, secure marriage. Be quick to
apologize for any hurtful words or
actions you may have directed at
your wife or husband.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
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13. 6. Being supportive
 To make your marriage all it can be,
dwell on each other's good qualities
and always look for ways to bring out
the best in each other, rather than
belittle or criticize.
 Make the most of all opportunities to
support each other.
 As you grow older, you will appreciate
this point more when the children
leave your home and you remain the
two of you.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
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14. 7. Teamwork.
 Discuss and agree on goals and
priorities, and learn to tackle
problems together. "Two are better
than one, because they have a
good reward for their labor. For if
they fall, one will lift up his
companion" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
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15. 8. Consideration.
 Being considerate of each other's
feelings, likes and dislikes, time,
and energy not only says "I love
you" in a most convincing and
endearing way, but it also relieves
stress, prevents friction, and
keeps lots of little problems from
ever happening.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
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16. 9. Understanding Each Other
 Learn to understand your spouse
failure to which there will be a lot
of frictions. It is important to
deliberately understand each
other. Be open to each other and
be willing NOT to push your
agenda
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
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17. 10. Affection.
 You'd be surprised at how many
marriages fall short because of a
lack of outward affection. Vocal
expressions of your love for one
another are also important, but
sometimes touching, kissing, and
hugging can convey love and
reassurance even better. They are
physical manifestations of inwardWednesday, June 11, 2014
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18. 11. Equality.
 Equality means involving each
other in decisions, parenting your
children together, and sharing
financial and household
responsibilities, but it goes deeper
than that. It's not just a matter of
scheduling or dividing the
workload equally, but of valuing
and respecting each other so eachWednesday, June 11, 2014
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19. 12. Admiration
 Admire to the uttermost your
spouse. Few things boost self-
esteem or make people want to
succeed in the truly important
things of life more than hearing
that their good qualities are
noticed and admired. Sharpen your
appreciation of the wonderful
person you married, and watch himWednesday, June 11, 2014
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20. 13.Reaching out to others
 Even if you seem to be the most
compatible couple in the world and
feel completely satisfied and
secure in each other's company, in
order for your marriage to thrive,
you both need other friends.
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21.  Others can help you grow in ways
that your husband or wife can't, so
your marriage will actually be
strengthened as you each spend
time and do things with others.
 But you must have common
friends for trust to be built up.
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22. 14. A sense of humor
 "A merry heart does good, like
medicine" (Proverbs 17:22).
Lighten up a little and you'll find
that most of the everyday
inconveniences, annoyances, and
problems you face aren't so bad
after all.
 Humor is so important in marriage.
Relax and enjoy humor together.
Don’t be so serious. Wednesday, June 11, 2014
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23. 15. Optimism
 Be optimistic in your marriage.
Optimism—the tendency to believe
and expect the best—linked to faith
in God nearly always pays off big,
because God loves to reward faith.
Conversely, few things can drag
down a marriage faster than
pessimism—expecting the worst
and complaining about the
downside of situations. Wednesday, June 11, 2014
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24. 16. Include God in Everything
 God wants to see you succeed in
marriage and as individuals, and
He is the Answer. He can make
mountains of problems melt away,
and He can make your dreams
come true, but there's one
condition: Include God. You'll be
amazed at what the three of you
can accomplish together!Wednesday, June 11, 2014
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