All a marriage needs to survive is two people who are willing to stay together! Their presence is pretty much all that is required!

A thriving and happy marriage, on the other hand, is a different ball game. Certain conditions are necessary in order for a marriage to move from survival and start thriving.

Sadly, there are many people who are stuck in surviving marriages because they have absolutely no idea how to move from a surviving marriage to a thriving one.

Be willing to learn

Most people go into marriage knowing very little about what makes a good marriage. There are some things that reading books on marriage and attending premarital counseling cannot prepare you for.

This is why it’s so important to be teachable and willing to learn new things about your spouse and marriage every day. It’s perfectly fine to change your mind on some of the things you thought you knew before you got married.

Create a safe and secure environment

If a marriage is going to thrive, both spouses must feel both physically and emotionally safe and secure. This sense of safety can be created by not being judgmental of your spouse and being respectful and supportive of them at all times.

This sort of environment makes it possible for the couple to build trust and have a healthy marriage. It makes you both feel loved and accepted for who you are as opposed to feeling like you have to perform to be loved or like you’ll be rejected if you don’t meet certain standards.

Prioritize each other

People in “surviving” marriages tend to prioritize other things, such as their careers, over their spouses and marriages. However, people in thriving and happy marriages prioritize each other.

Make your spouse and your marriage your top priority after God.  Be each other’s best friend and spend quality time with each other. Become one flesh like God intended you to be.

Any couple can move from a surviving marriage to a thriving and happy marriage as long as they are willing to learn, create a safe and secure environment in their marriage and prioritize each other.