We all have challenging times in our marriages when we have to make tough decisions, and sometimes that can cause conflict. My marriage is no exception! When to start having kids. Whether or not to quit good, stable jobs to go into full-time ministry. How to discipline our children. What to spend our money on. Whether or not to adopt. How to run a ministry while raising a family and dealing with serious health issues.
Mark and I definitely don’t agree on everything! And you know what? That’s okay. It’s natural to occasionally disagree with your spouse. Often, there are no right or wrong answers to life’s difficult questions—just different approaches and opinions. Facing tough decisions can lead to disagreements between spouses, but it’s possible to work through differences of opinion with love.
One of the most important things for me and Mark is to start on common ground. It helps me to remind myself that Mark loves me, that he wants what is best for our family, and that his ultimate desire is to honor God. And when we are disagreeing about something, especially a family-related issue, being reminded of that is crucial. When we stop and think about it, we have so much common ground!
There are some things you should never say to your spouse though. Here is the list.
On this podcast, Mark and I discuss how to find common ground and other ways to love well in the midst of disagreements to prevent them from turning into fights.
