So much time is spent in life going to school, for general knowledge, and getting some sort of training for a job or career. We think about how prepared we will be, or could have been, for our future. What about our future are we focused on? What do we strive to be successful in? Whatever we go through in life, and whatever we strive for, knowledge, preparation, and skills increase prosperity.
I couldn’t imagine how life would’ve been if I had never been made to go to school as a child. I’m sure I would have survived (maybe), but imagine how difficult (or should I say more difficult) life would be. I would assume, even if I didn’t later decide to obtain the education I didn’t pursue sooner, I would still find myself reading and studying about certain things I would need to understand. I guess I would have to first start by learning how to read. Oh, this already sounds too much of a mess to want to envision. Well, as much as I didn’t like going to school at times, I decided to keep going and even get a few degrees.
Do we think about how successful we want to be in our relationships and marriage? How soon do we begin to prepare for it? Is it something we ever consciously prepare for? It isn’t common practice. No wonder marriage can be so difficult! We assume we were all properly home -schooled on that subject. When even great marriages go through a glitch in the program, what training is pulled from to fix it? It’s time to start understanding the importance of relationship education for all types of relationships, but especially marriages. The relationship with the one whom we spend our days, homes, children, plans, finances, and vacations with, and the commitment we make to them, should be worth an aggregate of knowledge, preparation, and developed skills. When will you begin training?
Here are three elements to consider for education:
Yourself- How well do you really know yourself? Explore the good, the bad, and the ugly with all honesty. You are the one person you have actual control of. Focusing on yourself allows you to evaluate your effects on relationships. Acknowledgement allows for change, and a change in you may result in a change in others.
Your Partner- How well do you know each other? It’s never too late to learn more. Study your partner’s reactions to words, situations, and environments. Stop, look, and listen. Communicate (effectively).
Marriage itself- It is not just a piece of paper. There’s a real meaning in it historically/biblically. What does it mean to you? What does it mean to your partner? Marriage is something you do, so what are you to do?
