How Can the Church Strengthen Marriage?

Most couples after the initial years, find themselves battling the odds. Marriage works when both are in it for the long haul. Let us look at how the church can strengthen the matrimonial bond.

• The first step is to figure out what went wrong, in the first place. Even a seemingly happy couple can hit roadblocks. With the help of a local priest/pastor, both husband and wife can meet each other halfway.
• Both men and women do get attracted to others aside from their partners. Giving in to temptation damages a marriage. Infidelity is one of the root causes of a marriage going downhill. With the help of a church counselor, a couple willing to work on the relationship can get past the stage. Both need healing especially the one who was cheated.
• Pastors/priests must be honest with their congregation about marriage – the good, bad and the ugly. Honest premarital counseling must be adopted in the church. It helps couples decide whether they are ready to commit to each other. Post marital counseling should also be made available for couples to better their relationship.
• Putting God first is one of the most important facets of a good marriage. When both partners are of the same faith, it can strengthen their beliefs, love for God and each other. However, when a partner is agnostic, and the other religious, the marriage may hit roadblocks. Ridiculing each other does not work. An unbiased counselor can help both be accepting of each other as they meet halfway.
• Having sex on the brain all the time is not natural for any relationship. As a means of getting close to each other, sex is natural that is a given. Watching porn with its unrealistic tone can cause a serious strain in a marriage. A partner obsessed with pornographic imagery may want to exercise her/his right over the spouse shifting the course. Homilies must stress the damage porn does.

Couples battling problems related to physical, mental and substance abuse, financial worries, should seek help. With the right set of counseling tools, the church and its leaders can change the tone in marriage.