Tips For a Successful Marriage

Have you wondered why many marriages crumble a short while after they are established? Do you stay to ponder why a man or a woman after several years of marriage and having made children conclude that it was high time they parted ways? Well this may be the case if the following are not done!
1. BEFORE YOUR WEDDING
It is very important that you know whom you want to spend the rest of your life with inside out. How?
a) What is the background of your would be partner? Who are the parents? What do they do for a living? What is their philosophy of life? How did your to be life partner grow up? Are the parents always quarreling and fighting or are they divorced/separated? What are the likes and dislikes of your partner? How do your beliefs and aspirations blend with his/hers? Does he or she believe in you?
b) Decide from your findings in (a) above whether this person is actually who you will want to spend the rest of your life with. Can the shortcomings discovered be improved upon? The love required in marriage is beyond human comprehension. The greatest mistake most youths make is to marry out of sentiments! You can date anybody, but it is not every one you date that is a marriage material. You will need to 'shine your eyes' before you venture into any marriage relationship.
c) Take the ultimate decision. From (a) and (b) above decide to go ahead with the wedding or cancel it out rightly and take responsibility for your action. My people say that "MARRIAGE IS LIKE A PARCEL, WHATEVER YOU SEE WHEN IT IS OPENED YOU TAKE". The moment you get married. It is for life. You will bear the consequences of choosing to marry him/her.
2. WHILE IN THE MARRIAGE.
These are the things that should go on in your home.
I. Truthfulness - Remember God is truth. You must have sincerity of purpose at all times and in all situations. At no time should you lie to each other. The moment this happens, you will need to tell more lies to cover up and one day the truth will be told. It will be viewed as betrayal.
ii) Trust- Believe in yourself and in your partner. Always believe that what he/she told you is the truth and nothing but the truth. Listen not to gossips for many may not be happy that you have a happy relationship. There is no friend or relation that should be trusted more than your partner. Trust is the bedrock of a successful relationship.
iii) Communicate- Talk about everything and about every situation. Nothing should be seen as very trivial to be discussed. Your partner did what you did not like? Find time and talk about it. You were overwhelmed by his or her actions in any situation? find time to say you were overwhelm by that single action. You are happy for this or for that, please discuss it. Communication brings about openness to one another. Listening to each other is another important part of communication. You should be patient enough to hear your partner out in any circumstance. If not how will you know the crux of the matter? Listen and then ask questions and listen again.
iv) Show care and understanding- Whenever your partner is upset you should show that his/her being upset affects you and look for ways to create a happy atmosphere. Give yourselves freely to each other and let it be as though your lives depend 150% on each other!
v) Love- In all things put on love. For love covers all things. Love is patient, love is kind, and love is faithful and trustworthy. Love is not jealous and cannot be upset.

So keep your marriage with Love.