About Narratives

Narratives are the stories we repeatedly tell ourselves to make sense of the world around us. They can be healthy and affirming or deceptive and destructive. But for better or worse, narratives are a natural human instinct—a way for our minds to quickly interpret our place in the world amid all the noise vying for our attention.

Positive narratives can be deeply beneficial to a marriage. They promote a healthier, more rewarding relationship and help shield a couple from the pressures of a world that constantly challenges the sanctity of marriage. When practiced with purpose and consistency, positive narratives help couples:

• Improve communication

• Enhance empathy

• Generate grace

• Promote goodwill

• Foster greater vulnerability

• Build resilience during conflict

Negative narratives, however, can have the opposite effect. They can leave a marriage vulnerable to manipulation and attack by unseen forces in the spiritual realm. These dark forces aim to keep a marriage in ongoing turmoil, slowly dimming the hope and light it once reflected to the world around it.

From irregular, dispassionate, or weaponized intimacy and unreconciled differences to abuse, neglect, and generational sins, the long-term impact of negative narratives can be severe. They behave like constricted vessels that slowly destroy the heart. Left unaddressed, these narratives have the potential to weaken—and even kill—the health of a marriage over time.

Yet, there is hope. There is always hope! When we begin to see ourselves and our spouses as God sees us, recognize who the real enemy is and how he moves against our marriages, and choose God’s truth and His ways over our own, our marriages can return to the fullness of JOY they once held and to the sanctity God intended. And in that restoration, all glory will belong to God.