Just as conflict is inevitable between two married sinners, external trials and hardships are also to be expected. It’s not a question of “if”, but “when”. So how do we respond to external trials that impact our marriages? How do we shift expectations and position ourselves to grow closer together through the trials rather than drift apart?
All newlyweds face initial adjustments or difficulties in the early stages of their marriage, but the key is how we respond and learn from those difficulties for the next round of trials and adjustments life will bring.
As most couples approach marriage, each partner holds unrealistic expectations and unknown expectations. Our unrealistic expectations stem from a lack of true understanding of what marriage really is, but our unknown expectations can be even trickier, leaving us frustrated and confused but not entirely sure why.
Conflict is a common occurrence in marriage. Two sinful people bound together, living together, making decisions or not making decisions together, there will always be conflict. But a healthy marriage isn’t defined by the absence of conflict, it’s defined by the way a couple communicates through and resolves their conflict. In this podcast, Michael and Cindy discuss how to approach conflict in a nonthreatening way.