Whenever you’re married, whether it’s been 5 years or 50, it’s important to make your relationship with your spouse a priority. But if you’re Christian, putting God first in your relationships is even more important. This advice sounds like it might not make much sense, but it’s an important part of any Christian marriage. In this post, I’m sharing with you my top 5 tips for putting God first in your marriage. I promise that these tips will not only help you put God first in your marriage. You’ll also see your marriage thrive like you never thought possible!
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What Does it Mean to Put God First in Your Marriage?
So, what does it mean to put God first in your marriage? When I became a Christian, I made a vow that God was the Lord of my life and Jesus was my savior. This vow means that I am supposed to put God first in my life. That’s before anything or any person, including my husband.
Why Should You Put God First in Your Marriage?
We know God expects us to put Him first in our lives, and that includes our marriage. But why should you? Why should you put God first in your marriage? There are two very simple, but powerful reasons for putting God first in your marriage.
The Bible Calls Us to Love God Before Anyone Else
In Mark 12:30, Jesus is asked what’s the greatest commandment. He answers, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” In this statement, Jesus is quoting Deuteronomy 6. In Deuteronomy, Moses has been telling the Israelite people the laws given to him by God. In the laws, the most important commandment is loving God with all your heart. That means putting Him first in everything, including your marriage.
Sometimes we look at putting God first as a means to an end. If we put God first, He will bless our lives. Psalms 89:15 puts it a different way, “Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.” The writer of this Psalm realized that putting God first in every part of our life is the end game. Worshipping God in every part of our life is the reward, so we should willingly put Him first, no matter what!
God Will Bless Our Marriage if We Put Him First
As a Christian, I want God to bless me as much as He can! Trust me, I need His blessings more and more every day. Following God’s commands come with a blessing, right? Even if we don’t come with a blessing here on earth, we know that we will receive one in heaven. So, if God commands us to put Him first, even in our marriage, it must also be to bless us too.
Putting your spouse first signs them up for a responsibility that they can never ever fulfill in your life. They will only disappoint you and let you down. In the end, they won’t feel loved or valued either. The only way both of you can feel loved and valued the most in the relationship is by putting God at the head and the center of it.
“Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted.” Psalms 127:1 reminds us to allow God to build our house or our marriage. If we don’t put Him first in our marriage, all that work we do with our spouse will be wasted. By putting God first in your marriage, you’re letting Him lay the foundation for your married life. And a marriage built with that foundation cannot fall!
5 Tips for Putting God First in Your Marriage
Putting God first in your marriage is so important for both you and your marriage. God tells us to put Him first in our life. He also blesses us when we do put Him first in our marriage. Here are 5 tips for putting God first in your marriage.
Marry Someone Who Shares Your Beliefs
The first step I have for putting God first in your marriage is marrying someone who shares your beliefs. This tip would seem the most simple, but so many people don’t do this part. They think, “I can change him,” or “She’s such a good person,” and that it will all be okay. A lot of Christians think they can “win over” their non-Christian spouse. I’ve known MANY people that have tried this before, and only 1 who has actually been successful at it. Trust me, it’s not a good idea!
2 Corinthians 6:14 says, “Don’t become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong?” (the Message) This verse reminds believers that any partnership they go into should be made with other believers. Marriage is the most important partnership you’ll ever make, so finding a spouse who shares your Christian beliefs is crucial in order to put God first in your relationship.
Put God First in Your Marriage By Joining a Church Family
Another key tip for putting God first in your marriage is by joining a church family. When I met my husband, I was thankful that we shared a very similar Christian upbringing. We both agreed that joining a church family together was very important for our marriage and our family.
We moved churches once when our kids were little. But, when we did this, we did it as a family. When we were searching for a new church home, we made sure to look for a church that would grow our children in Bible knowledge and strengthen all of our faith over the years. Our church family has been a blessing not only to our marriage but to our children as well.
Find an Accountability Partner to Help You Keep God First in Your Marriage
An accountability partner is another great tool to help you keep God first in your marriage. It’s key to find a Christian friend to do this for you. Just like choosing a Christian spouse, a Christian friend accountability partner should have your best interests at heart.
Find someone you trust, maybe someone you know from Bible study, to help you keep God first in your marriage. Whenever they hear you putting your spouse on a pedestal, or putting them down, this accountability partner can be ready to remind you to put God first in your marriage. It’s that simple. You could both agree to be accountability partners for each other.
I would also suggest you find a person who’s the same gender as you to be your accountability partner. A woman will probably understand another woman better. Plus, it’s better for your marriage as well.
Read the Bible to Put God First in Your Marriage
Reading the Bible daily is another excellent way of putting God first in your marriage! Your marriage can’t have God in it if the couple doesn’t have God in their lives. And one of the best ways to allow God into your heart is by spending time in His word.
Developing a daily Bible reading habit will help you put God first in your life and in your marriage. You have to find a time that works for you. For me, I like to spend the first few minutes of every morning with Bible reading and prayer. If I don’t start my day this way, I can tell, and I bet the people around me can, too!
If you want to take it a step further, reading the Bible together will put God front and center in your marriage relationship. This might be hard, considering your work schedules, kids, and all that. But I encourage you to find a way to make Bible reading with your spouse a habit. This is just another way to put God first in your marriage.
Put God First in Your Relationship By Praying Together (H3)
Another great tip for putting God first in your marriage is praying together. Praying together as a couple is an excellent way to grow closer together as a married partnership. More importantly, it’s also the best way to grow closer to God.
We’re not perfect at it, but my husband and I usually end our days praying together. We take turns praying, just depending on who’s feeling like voicing our prayers at the time. When one of us falls asleep early, when the other person comes to be, they make sure to pray aloud over our marriage and all of those that are near and dear to us.
I’m thankful that we’ve kept this tradition going throughout our 27 years of marriage. Like I said earlier, we aren’t perfect in our relationship. Not even close. But I know that as we continue putting God first in our marriage, he will continue to pull us closer together. Whenever we drift apart, and we sometimes do, God will use our relationship with Him to bring us back stronger than before. Ecclesiastes 4:12 reminds us that, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Putting God first in your marriage guarantees that three-strand cord.
Pray Daily That You Will Put God First in Your Life
I hope you pray daily to put God first in your life. This act is key to a life-long blessing and commitment to Him. If you put God first in your life, and in every relationship, everything else will fall into place. We will still have struggles in this world, but God’s got this, and we will overcome it in the end!
Take care,
