Restoring Your Relationship
If you are in a bad marriage, the answer is not to dissolve the relationship, but it is to restore your relationship. Stick through the hard times and work on the tough issues. Here are suggestions that will help during your journey to reconciliation:
First, look at yourself. No one is perfect (Romans 3:10). It's easy to see the mistakes and annoyances that our spouses have. It's much harder to look inward and identify the ways we contributed to the problems. Think through your marriage and seek the areas where you said or did something wrong. Then ask forgiveness from your spouse. You will be amazed how this small step could eventually turn your bad marriage into a good one.
Second, identify your real enemy. Be reminded that our spouses are not the enemy—Satan is. One of his greatest weapons is to trick you into blaming someone else, usually your spouse, for problems. When you start to bicker and quarrel, remember that your true enemy is the one who seeks to destroy your marriage.
Third, meditate on God's Word daily. The proper way to battle Satan is with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). You won't know how to use a sword if you've never handled one. The same is true for God's Word—you won't know how to wield its power if you don't read and study. When Satan attacks, the Word of God will give you wisdom and the power to withstand his fiery darts.
Fourth, appreciate your spouse. Proverbs 15:1 says, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Perhaps you've forgotten that your spouse has good qualities. At once time you were attracted to him or her in some way. What were those things that made you fall in love? Once you've thought of something, verbalize it or put it in a letter. You'll be amazed at what a kind word can do for your relationship.
Fifth, pray for your spouse. It's difficult to harbor bitterness against someone when you're praying for that person. The more you pray, the more God will change your heart, and you will see a dramatic difference in your attitude. If possible, begin praying together. In his book Two Hearts Praying as One, Dennis Rainey says, "When you pray together, you multiply your joys, divide your sorrows, add to your experiences with God together, and help subtract your haunting past from your life."
Finally, take action to restore your marriage. What makes a marriage good is hard work and a resolve to stay married. No matter how easy it seems for other people, no marriage can work automatically. Don't let Satan fool you into thinking that no one else experiences problems or that yours aren't solvable. If you remove divorce as an option, you'll find that there are ways to build into your relationship.
There's no secret formula to dealing with a difficult marriage. Just because you are suffering now, don't give up on the blessing that God is using to mold you and your spouse into His image. It may not seem like a good marriage at this time, but wait and see what God has in store for you … I'm willing to bet you'll be glad you did.