“Every couple is close to doing really well,” says pastor, speaker and bestselling author Bill Farrel in an interview with his wife, Pam, on the “Hope for Your Marriage” series on Charisma News. “Because marriage is a matter of the heart. And in that way, it reflects the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is also a matter of the heart. But in the gospel, if your heart turns, it turns quickly, and you go from being at odds with God to being God’s friend and part of His family.
“And the same thing happens in marriage, that if you get your hearts reconnected .. suddenly marriage comes alive, and you can begin to work on all the stuff that’s been standing in your way,” Bill tells host Marti Pieper. “Every couple is just one breakthrough away from doing really well.”
And with these words of hope, the Farrels, founders of LoveWise, have some practical advice for couples who may be struggling: “Pull together, don’t pull apart,” says Pam, also a popular speaker and bestselling author. “And so what that means is, ‘Hey, it’s time to get serious. It’s time to say, ‘Let’s pray.’ Even if it’s just a sentence. ‘Let’s read the Bible together,’ even if it’s a simple devotional. … It can be something simple, but it gives you a place, a touchstone place together,” she adds.
“My encouragement would be that if you need to pay for a counselor, go get one, so you can pull together,” Pam explains. “If you need to meet with a mentor couple who has overcome in your area of crisis or stress, meet with a mentor couple. If you need to get in a small-group Bible study and surround yourself with couples who believe in long-term love so you can have a long-term love, [do it]. If you need to meet with a pastor to get some spiritual direction and pull together, then that’s what you should do.”
Bill offers his own words of wisdom for couples who are struggling: “Do something positive that’s different than what you’re used to doing. … What happens when couples get under stress and pain is they get locked into habits that are self-defeating. And if you just go do something different, that’s positive. … It has the potential to unlock that breakthrough.”
For more of the Farrels’ hope-filled wisdom for your marriage relationship, listen to this podcast.
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