5 Essential Holiday To-Do’s That Will Bless Your Marriage

This festive season is good for more than presents, parties, and sumptuous feasts!

Merry Christmas wishes to you and yours!

Unfortunately, the joys of the Christmas season can be accompanied by stress and filled with so much frenetic activity that we enter the new year exhausted and depleted. As much of a challenge as it might be, I want to suggest that you set aside some time to do five important things for your marriage in the week ahead.

Connection

Amid an abundance of obligations to spend time with extended family members and friends, don’t forget to spend quality time connecting with those closest to you, namely your spouse and your kids.

There is a pretty good chance that your one-on-one time with your husband or wife has been limited recently, so make it a priority in the next week to get quality time together. My suggestion is to spend that time discussing together the topics in this post.

Reflection

Spend some time in purposeful reflection over the past year, identifying as many things as you can for which you are thankful. As I stated in my previous post, Are You Still Thankful, thankfulness reaps a harvest of good fruit in your heart and home, including happiness, gratitude, and optimism.

Here are some helpful question for reflection:

1. How has your marriage been blessed over the past year?
2. What special events or trips did you most enjoy together?
3. Did the Lord surprise you with unexpected financial provision?
4. Are there any growth areas in you spiritual life for which you are thankful?

Inspection

It’s a good idea to regularly consider the activities and commitments that have accumulated in your life to see if they are in line with your priorities.

Author Bob Goff famously says he quits something every Thursday. It’s his way of keeping his life aligned with his goals and purpose and ensuring that there is enough margin in his life for the things that matter most.

Spend time inspecting your life over the past year. What should stay? What should go? What activities should get more or less of your time? How can you make more margin for you marriage?

Be brutally protective of your time and energy. It matters.

Redirection

This is a great time to reinvigorate your dreams and hopes and to reimagine your future. Is your current direction in your life and marriage taking you where you want to go? Where do you need to change direction? What can you do move more quickly toward your goals? Is there a new skill you’d like to develop or a hobby you’d like to engage in?

While it’s important to evaluate your personal dreams for the future, you should also talk with your spouse about where you want to see your marriage grow and change in the year ahead. What would you like to see more of in your relationship? Take my Three Things survey together and compare your answers.

Seduction

Last, but certainly not least, make time to make love over the holidays. It’s easy to let sexual intimacy take a back burner during all the hectic coming and going, so you’ll have to be intentional about setting aside time for it. It counts even when you have to specifically plan it, and at this time of year, it’s not likely to happen if you don’t.