This document discusses managing relationships with in-laws after marriage. It advises that your vows are to your spouse, not your in-laws, but developing a relationship with your spouse's family is important. The most important principle is to never allow either family to come between your marriage. Spiritual passages encourage leaving family to cleave to your spouse and the importance of love. A challenge is provided to create family trees with names and facts about each spouse's relatives.

1. Couples & In-Laws
Introduction
In-laws: If you’re married or planning to get married, you’ll probably end up inheriting a few. No need to wor-
ry. First things rst; understand that your vows were made to your spouse, not your in-laws. With that being
said, it is important that your family understands that you are no longer the brother, sister, daughter or son that
they once knew. You have now joined yourself to another. You take the responsibility to make sure that they
understand that. Once that rm foundation is established, be sure to develop a relationship with your spouse’s
family. A er all, it is better to live in harmony than in discord. We are instructed to live peaceably with all men.
Do just that. And most importantly, never allow each other’s family to come in between your marriage. God
alone should be the third person in your marriage…not mother, father, sister or brother. Understand and prac-
tice these simple principles and you wouldn’t be annoyed when it’s time for the in-laws to visit.
Spiritual Background
esiastes 9:10
Genesis 2:24
erefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one esh.
1 Corinthians 13: 13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Colossians 3: 12-14
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind,
meekness, longsu ering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against
any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of
perfectness.
Challenge
Create two separate family trees: one for her and one for him. In addition to lling in names also include fun
facts about each person. ey include funny stories, physical features, etc.
(M.Brown, T. Daniel, C.Dhountal, C. Solomon)
Couplete Ministries couplete.org