Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder.
Romans 12:11–13 (MSG)
When you drive down an old mud road after a rain, you create deep ruts. Then when you pass that way again, your wheels keep slipping into the same old ruts.
The same is true in life, especially for couples. It’s so easy to slip back into the same old ruts, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Some people assume that things get mundane in marriage because we weren’t designed to spend a lifetime with the same person. They think that variety is the spice of life, but when couples choose to keep growing and changing, things don’t get boring! They get better! Often all we need is a little more enthusiasm.
In fact, I heard someone once say that enthusiasm is the spice of life, not variety. I couldn’t agree more! You can choose to love your spouse with enthusiasm, even when things become a little routine.
You may be thinking, Well, I’m just not an enthusiastic person. But enthusiasm isn’t a personality trait. It’s a choice.
Psychologist William James once said, “If you want a quality, act as if you already had it.” If you want patience, don’t just ask God to make you more patient. Start practicing patience and you’ll begin to become it. If you want more joy, start to act more joyful. Just choosing to smile and stand tall can actually make you feel happier!
And if you want to be more enthusiastic, just start expressing more enthusiasm! Live the life that you have with enthusiasm and you’ll be surprised at how the world around you responds.