Save the Date

If there is something I'm becoming increasingly aware of as I interact with married couples, it's the need to keep the romantic fires hot. I mean sizzling! Dating is one of the key building blocks of relationships that happens before marriage. What in the world makes us think that after we're married dating becomes an expendable part of our relationship?

Keeping the romantic and sexual aspects of marriage alive yields incredible results. But, make no mistake - it takes time and effort. When we become lazy in our marriage relationship, one of the first things to go will be the date night. It must be a priority. Solomon warned about the "little foxes" that threaten the vineyard of our love (SOS 2:15). A fox was able to breach the wall of an ancient vineyard and eat its fruit if the wall was not regularly inspected and maintained. In marriage, dating is a crucial thing to maintain, because it is part of the protective barrier that shelters and secures our relationship.

The natural question is, "How do I save the date? How can I begin to rebuild those portions of my marriage that have been damaged or broken down?"

Start by evaluating your schedule. If your schedule is too crowded to have a date with your spouse and stir the romantic and sexual fires, then you have some things that need to be eliminated from your schedule. Evaluate your schedule and carve out time for your lover.

Second, be as creative as possible. There are many things that you can do when you are on a date. Some can cost significant amounts of money, but others don't have to cost anything. Be creative in finding ways to spend time together apart from others.

Third, turn off your mobile devices. What is more important than your relationship with your spouse? God wants our marriage relationship to be our most significant earthly relationship. Turn off your phone and focus on your spouse.

Saving the date may well be a key to saving your marriage. If your marriage has been broken down, or you have experienced some distance from one another, then schedule a date. Do something that provides you with the opportunity to talk to each other about each other.