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Top 7 Bible Verses For A Troubled Marriage

Top 7 Bible Verses For A Troubled Marriage

Last updated on: May 29, 2015 at 1:36 pm by Karla Hawkins

Top 7 Bible Verses For A Troubled Marriage 2015-05-29T13:36:06-05:00 Karla Hawkins

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Marriage truly is a gift from God for a man and a woman, because he loves us very much. He established marriage to be a life-long covenant, so that each spouse would share love, fun, security, sex, children, and companionship together. Unfortunately, spouses can sometimes face difficulties and challenges in their relationship, so God’s word can help to re-focus both partners on what is important. Following are my top 7 Bible verses for a troubled marriage:

Matthew 19:5 “…and [Jesus] said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?”

In order to begin a discussion on troubled marriages, I believe it is important to go back to basics. This verse in Matthew is often quoted or read during weddings, because it is a reminder to all couples that their nuptials are the union of two people that choose to hold on to each other and become one flesh or entity. So they are no longer two individuals but rather one new pair. In verse six of this same chapter, the author writes, “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” Frequently, what happens is that when disagreements or hardships come along, a person’s first instinct is to run away or look to someone else for help. However, it is imperative that neither partner allow anyone—not parents, not children, not co-workers, not friends, not other men or women—to come between them in their marriage in any way. Keeping the communication lines open with each other is crucial in saving a troubled marriage.

I Corinthians 13:7 “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

The marriage relationship is supposed to be enjoyable in spite of the challenges we face in life. When a couple really loves each other, they will be patient and truthful with each other while avoiding pitfalls like envy, arrogance, rudeness, irritability and resentfulness toward their husband or wife. As it says in this verse, marriage is a positive extension of a couple’s love for each other, and they should bear, believe, hope and endure all things for the sake of their relationship whenever possible. Practicing a positive attitude and avoiding all negativity—in words and actions—will improve a troubled marriage every time.

Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

We often forget about the importance of simple acts of kindness toward our spouse. It is so much easier to blame the other person in a relationship when our “needs” feel like they are not being met. However, this verse is a reminder to all that being kind and tenderhearted toward one another can go a long way in resolving marital issues. Forgiveness is another critical element in turning things around, as it is a commandment that we all need to obey. Christ was willing to forgive us our many sins, so how much more should we be willing to forgive our spouse’s mistakes?

Philippians 2:4 “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

No one wants to admit that they are being self-centered or selfish, but oftentimes a marriage will begin to suffer when one or both partners begin focusing on their own ambitions and desires instead of what is best for the entire family. Having goals and dreams is a great part of life, but when we are married we need to plan and pursue those dreams together. I believe this is a great verse for couples that are struggling, because it takes our eyes off of ourselves and reminds us to look at the interests of our husband or wife. Using words like “us” and “ours” is a lot better than speaking “I” and “mine” too often as well. Humility and self-sacrifice will take us a lot further in our relationship with our spouse than egotism or narcissism.

Colossians 3:8 “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

Sin separates us from God, but it can also separate us from our spouse. I am including this verse, because it reminds us that we must die to ourselves in a marital relationship. Once we are married, our lives are no longer just our own. Sexual sin can also bring trouble between a husband and a wife, so it must be removed. In other words, anything that becomes an idol in our lives will interfere with our closeness to our spouse. So the Lord is reminding us that we must put away all ungodliness including anger, malice, obscenities, lying, and sexual immorality, because as Christians we need to reflect our Creator God. As we draw closer to the Lord, then we will be even more attractive to our mate.

Colossians 3: 12 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience…”

As a Christian couple, God has chosen us to be joined in the righteous union of matrimony. He wants us to be holy, loving, compassionate, kind, humble and patient with one another, because then our marriage will succeed. In verses 13 and 14 of this same chapter in Colossians, the apostle Paul writes, “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” The Lord knows that loving and forgiving one another each day will be a firm foundation for a strong marriage that can endure any storm.

I Peter 4:8 “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”

True love comes from our heavenly Father, but he is willing to give it to us freely and abundantly in our relationship with our spouse. God knows that we are weak and frail human beings who mess up constantly, but he also knows that loving each other earnestly will carry us past those hurts and mistakes. Acknowledging and repenting of our errors quickly will allow a couple to get past those trials, and true love will also cover a multitude of sins as the apostle Peter writes here in his book.

CONCLUSION

Life is hard, and a married couple will face many hardships and challenges in their time together. God is faithful, however, and his word is full of wisdom and counseling that can alleviate the struggles a couple will go through. Marriage is a beautiful gift from God for man and woman, and he wants us to experience a spectacular and joy-filled life together with our spouse. So continue to read and study his word (and love note) to us, so that you can overcome the troubles in your marriage.

Written by Karla Hawkins

God has been good to me over the years, and I have much for which to be grateful to Him. First of all, I feel blessed to be the pastor’s wife of a thriving church in northern Michigan and the mother of four amazing grown children. It is also very rewarding to be a Christian author, editor and translator for the Kingdom of God. Some of my favorite pastimes include supporting my children’s contemporary Christian band ONLY9AM, singing on the worship team at church, traveling, and connecting with family and friends via social media. When I am not working, I love spending time with my family and especially with my precious three-year-old grandson.

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