The Love Dare - Day 13

Love Fights Fair

Conflict is a part of this fallen world. And because we're all imperfect and self-centered, our marriage will have conflict. It's not if, but when. So, the question really becomes, "How do I manage conflict within my marriage so that it's not destructive?"

The authors of The Love Dare have come up with some very helpful suggestions. In essence, all of us need to come up with rules of engagement that are healthy and restrains the potential for hurt. These rules include "we" boundaries and "me" boundaries.

Some "we" boundaries that are helpful include:
1) We will never mention divorce.
2) We will not bring up old, unrelated items from the past.
3) We will never fight in public or in front of our children.
4) We will call a "time out" if conflict escalates to a damaging level.
5) We will never touch one another in a harmful way.
6) We will never go to bed angry with one another.
7) Failure is not an option. Whatever it takes, we will work this out.

Some "me" boundaries include:
1) I will listen first before speaking.
2) I will deal with my own issues before pointing the finger.
3) I will speak gently and keep my voice down.

Turn conflict into something good for a change. Instead of fighting one another, fight for your marriage!