Do you want to get at the heart of the problem why couples struggle? Let’s figure it out and see if we can find a way to help couples soar.

Ask the average couple the question, “Why does your marriage struggle?” You might hear…

“We don’t know how to communicate”

“It seems we fight all the time”

“We never spend time together”

“When we do talk we can’t agree on anything”

“We don’t have romance”

These answers seem plausible, but perhaps they are symptoms of a deeper problem. So, let’s get to the heart of the matter okay?

You see, your heart matters. So does your mate. Some couples lose sight of taking care of each other’s heart.

Think back to when you fell in love. Perhaps like others, you felt a strong romantic connection. You had a lot of fun and could talk for hours. The bond you shared met a basic human need identified for love and belonging

Marriages struggle when couples stop caring for each other’s heart. Neglect is a subtle pattern that forms early in relationships once couples get involved in the tasks of raising a family. A marriage cannot tolerate this too long before other patterns emerge.

Conflict, emotional distancing, and over-focusing on work, kids and household tasks can push couples further apart. Once a safe haven, marriage feels more like a battleground.

The longer couples go without tending to the heart of the marriage, the more they struggle with each other.

To break this pattern, it is important to get back to the heart of the problem. You must come together and tend to the heart of the marriage. Here are 3 simple ways you can do this.

Tune into the heart of your spouse

When you’re struggling in marriage it is easy to complain about your spouse. You may have compiled a list of complaints and feel justifiably distant. But where does that get you?

Do you know what is going on in the heart of your mate? It could be one or more of the following:

Worries about one of the kids

Pressures on the job

Aging parent

Health concerns

Disappointments in friendship

In order to “tune in” you have to “tune out” whatever else is going on in the moment.

Put down the cell phone

Let your guard down and listen

Try your best to understand

Validate

Give a word of affirmation or compliment

Do something thoughtful or caring (card, gift massage, draw a bath, etc…)

“When you fish for love, bait with your heart, not your brain.” Mark Twain

Open up your heart to your spouse

This is something women find easier to do than men. Be that as it may, it is important for both partners to work on.

Guys often compartmentalize problems and do not think about opening up. Men don’t want to burden a spouse. Some think it is a sign of weakness and should be able to solve problems on their own.

Men fail to understand that women want them to open up. It’s not a sign of weakness. Opening up your heart is really a strength in the eyes of most women.

One of our biggest struggles is not knowing what to do with our emotions so men tend to suppress them. The problem is they leak out in other ways.

A spouse will be less critical or make wrong assumptions when they get a sense of what is really going on in your heart. They are likely to be more compassionate and supportive if they understand what you’re going through.

Tend to the heart of the marriage in simple ways

Think in terms of three hearts: yours, your spouse’s, and your marriage. Both of you bear the responsibility of caring for the heart of your marriage.