The Gifts of Marriage - Passion

Good morning, Five Minute Families. Marriage is ordained by God and recognized by society as a foundational function for relationship development. God gives us good gifts. And, in marriage He gives the couple the gifts of companionship, passion, and purpose, to name but a few. Last week we discussed the elements necessary for good companionship, and this week we will be chatting about passion. Passion is often thought of in one of two ways… an intense emotion or a strong physical relationship. The dictionary definition includes a strong liking or desire as well as defining passion as an object of love, liking, or desire. Examples include ‘She told the story with passion,’ ‘Learning is my passion,’ or ‘He has passion for sports.’ In marriage, passion is, as Hatfield defined it, “an intense longing for union with another.” The feeling of passion often seems more powerful at the beginning of a relationship. We are enthusiastic to get to know one another, and we will sometimes feign interest in areas that we are not actually interested in. We must remember though that the emotional side of passion is just as fleeting and fickle as any emotion. Passion requires that we intentionally choose to learn, experiment, and enjoy one another just as we choose to learn, experiment, and enjoy hobbies or other interests. A divorced man once said, “If I had just sat down and had a cup of morning coffee with my ex-wife like she repeatedly but kindly asked, we might still be married today. So, be sure to find your cup of coffee with your spouse.” My husband and I have had many “coffees” over the years… a sip of his latte (which I despised at the time), learning to play cribbage, watching cooking shows, and more. So, let’s briefly discuss five thought patterns to adopt to maintain or rebuild passion in your marriage. First, we must be willing to learn something new together. Sometimes, a husband has his hobbies, and a wife has hers. And, there is nothing wrong with having things you do separately. Still, to improve the pass