Are you a newlywed? If you are, congratulations! You’ve made one of the most important decisions in your life. In marriage, both the man and the woman will experience something they have never experienced before, and I hope what you will be experiencing is something that gets even better over time.

To help you adjust to the new life that you now have as a married person, here are some tips for you. These are foundational, and developing them early in your marriage will ensure a blessed marriage.

3 Things Newlywed Couples Must Learn

Doing these three requires effort, and a lot of love for your spouse, powered by the love God has for both of you. Do them faithfully, and enjoy your marriage.

1. First, prioritize God above each other

To begin with, you and your spouse must decide to put God first, even ahead of each other. All married couples should learn to prioritize God above each other, because God doesn’t want anything or anybody taking His place in our lives (see Exodus 20:3-6).

Don’t worry, though. God is gracious and will help both of you to put Him first, if you ask His help (see James 1:5).

Develop a culture of “God first” early in your marriage. Set aside time for personal prayer and Bible reading. Build the habit of praying and reading the Bible together. Allow God to lead your marriage with His Word and His Spirit. You won’t regret it.

2. Second, prioritize each other

Next, learn to prioritize each other. What I mean by this is both of you should learn to put each other ahead of yourselves. While it’s not wrong to think of your needs, thinking of your spouse’s needs would be better.

The Bible commands all husbands to love their wives like Christ loved the church, and that means “sacrificially.” Wives, on the other hand, are commanded to respect, honor, and submit to their husbands. That means sacrificing yourself, too (see Ephesians 5:21-33).

When newlywed couples learn to prioritize each other ahead of their own wants, desires, and needs, growing marriages marked by selfless love can be expected. This includes setting your dreams and aspirations aside for the sake of your spouse.

3. Third, prioritize each other above other people

Lastly, realize that your marriage is between you, your spouse, and God before whom you made your vows to each other. Third parties of any kind shouldn’t have a place in your marriage (see Genesis 2:24).

Not all third parties are adulterous in nature. It could be friends in basketball or another sport, a classmate in grad school that you’re doing some research with, or perhaps that nice old shop owner you spend more time talking to compared to your spouse. Go figure.

Friend, realize that God designed marriage to be just between the husband and the wife. Learn to prioritize your marriage before your other relationships.

And yes, if your spouse feels uncomfortable with a friend of yours, be willing to let that friendship go. Your spouse goes first.

It’s Worth All The Effort

Friend, these will take some time to get used to especially if you just got married, but they’re worth the effort. The idea here is prioritizing God who gave you your spouse; then prioritizing the spouse that God gave you; and then prioritizing the commitment you and your spouse made before God.

By JB Cachila 

www.christiantoday.com