When I mentioned to a new friend that Sara and I will celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary this year, she asked me for marriage advice. She is unmarried but wants to know how to have a successful marriage when the time comes.
I shared with her the concepts I presented when performing a marriage ceremony of friends two years ago. I call the the Five C's of Marriage. Since she got a lot out of them, I thought, why not share them to a wider audience?
The Five C's of Marriage are:
Christ-centered. Put Christ at the center of your marriage. Christ holds your marriage together, and your thoughts are never far from him. Pray together. Worship together. Raise your children to do the same.
Companions first. Become more than friends; go through life as companions. Your marriage should not be based on romantic feelings as much as on being partners who enjoy doing life together.
Custom made. You don't have to be the best husband or wife in the world, just the best husband or wife for your spouse. Become a student of your spouse. Observe and experience them to know their preferences. Then act on this information to show love in ways that are most meaningful to your spouse.
Change together. As much as possible, change together as you go through seasons of life. This is not guaranteed and is a blessing of a Christ-centered marriage.
Compounded love. In successful marriages, love grows through time, just like compounded interest in finance. Your investment in each other increases your love as you lengthen your history together. Your loyalty to each other increases as you continually invest in your relationship.
What have you found are the most important components in a marriage? What do you think of this list? What would you add or subtract? Please comment below.
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