One mate in a marriage can hold the relationship intact; however, this puts a huge strain and drain on that one person’s physical and emotional energy. Then, they struggle with negative attitudes of resentment, due to being neglected, especially when their emotional tank depletes to empty most of the time.
As the saying goes, “It takes two to Tango.” The Tango is a very passionate and intense dance between two “lovers.” One person cannot dance the Tango alone – it takes a set of partners performing fluid and intricate patterns that cause them to move in tandem with each other to perform the Tango.
Two active partners are essential to make a fluid, passionate marriage as well. When one person opts out of the process, the relationship ceases to be a marriage, and they become roommates or amicable friends instead. Some relationships continue to deteriorate over the years, until they end in divorce.
In the Tango, prearranged steps help the couple to stay in sync with one another. Nonverbal cues help them to sway to the music in perfect harmony. In a marriage, when we receive positive emotional and physical cues from each other, we feel valued, cherished, secure, and joyful.
Strong marriages provide trust, commitment, a willingness to change negative behavior, and vulnerability in attitude, behavior, conversation, and the “risk” that each partner is willing to take for the other. We “have each other’s back” – the most vulnerable part of our body. We cannot protect our back, or even scratch an itch there without help.
God designed marriage for a man and a woman to cleave to each other in spirit, soul, and body (1 Corinthians 7:1-2). When our mate truly cares about us, and we go the extra mile for each other and place each other at the top of our priority list, we feel safe and at rest. Let’s Tango!
Prayer:
Father God, in this fast-paced world, our schedules often exclude couple time, or daily snuggle and chat time; yet these practices are paramount for a good marriage. Remind us that cherishing each other, having compassion for one another, and serving our mate are ways to ensure that love lives on in a relationship – even a marriage where one or both people are aged, incapacitated or have some physical ailment.
Teach us to draw our strength from Your agape love, and to love You more than we love even our mate. Remind us to put You first in our life, because as we seek You together for our daily living, our roots grow deeper in our union with You, and our marriage is strengthened and serves as a living testimony of Jesus’ love for His Bride. We love You with our whole heart, and we make a commitment to love one another with Your unconditional, agape love.
Thought for the Day:
In our technological age, most people are more interested in their texts, emails, and messages than they are in talking with one another, so couple communication is a dying art; a wise couple will put down the smart phone or tablet, turn off the TV, and turn down the music in order to concentrate on communicating with the most important person in their life, rather than taking them for granted and basically ignoring them.
