I Do Every Day 2021 devotional image

Cake Pops and Other Unhealthy Habits
By Laura Way

A friend and I were just laughing over how quickly kids can form unhealthy habits. You buy them a cake pop one time during their sibling’s practice, and suddenly every time their sibling practices, It’s time for a cake pop!

Even as an adult, I could get into the swing of eating a bowl of ice cream after dinner a lot faster than I can sync up my life with rhythms of exercise.

Unhealthy habits in marriage can be a bit like that, too.

Unhealthy habits like not looking our spouse in the eye when we talk to them (we can stop multitasking for them, yes?). Or grinding our gears all day about the dishes left on the coffee table (and assuming they did that to make our lives harder). Maybe even interrupting our spouse or speaking negatively about them with others.

When we open the door to a less than helpful behavior, it’s easier to repeat again later.

At our Weekend to Remember® marriage getaways, one of the biggest takeaways is that the natural drift in marriage is toward isolation. And if the drift toward isolation is natural, our unhealthy habits lead us there even faster. Connection and intimacy don’t happen by accident, it takes intentionality.

Have you noticed any bad habits in your marriage? Check out these unhealthy habits to avoid.

The Good Stuff: And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9)

Action Points: Pick one (just one for today!) of the 16 habits listed in the article above (or one of your own) and resolve today to to replace it with a healthier one.

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