Building a Foundation Part 4: COMMUNICATION

Communication

Question 1: How much time do you spend communicating with each other now?

Question 2: Will you commit to setting aside time each day to communicate?

Couples that communicate well also usually say they have a great marriage.  In fact, in one recent survey, ninety-seven percent of couples that said they communicated well also rated their marriage well.  Most of us spend a lot of time communicating before marriage.  We just cannot get enough of each other.   Then, after marriage, that can drastically drop off.  Most couples spend an average of three hours a day communicating before marriage and five minutes a day after marriage.  That is twenty-one hours a week before marriage and thirty-five minutes after.  No wonder we drift apart. No wonder couples often feel like strangers in their marriage.  Communication bonds us together.  It builds closeness and intimacy.  Healthy communication is essential.

If you communicate well now, keep it up.  If you don't, here are some ideas to get you started.

• Set aside time each day to talk - without any distractions. The 'no distractions' is really important so you can focus on each other and what you are saying.

• It needs to be a time that works for both of you.

• If you have kids, let them know that you are making your marriage in general and your communication in particular a priority. This is a great way to teach them of the importance of communicating in marriage.

• Talk about you day, what you are thinking about, what bothers you, what excites you, what you want for your marriage, what you want to pray about - the topics are endless.

• It can be ten minutes or an hour. Just set the time and stick to it. Hold that time sacred. Do not let anything get in the way of consistent time each day to communicate.

Your marriage will grow and be more of what God has for you as a couple.  Communication is an essential foundation piece for an Awesome Marriage.

Dr. Kim