After the strong response I received from my last article about how to rebuild a relationship after adultery in a marriage, I wanted to take a moment to look at the issue from another perspective: prevention.
While the responsibility for transgressing the marital boundaries usually belongs squarely with the party who made that choice, the complex combination of situations that made it seem an attractive option were usually made by both parties long before the physical bonds of the marriage were broken.
If your heart has recently been broken by adultery in a marriage, you may wonder what the future holds. I can tell you this – the road to recovery is difficult, though possible.
If you have been one of the lucky ones who have not been affected by the pain of adultery, it is my goal that this blog might give you advice to prevent having to face the issue of adultery in your marriage.
There are ways to “fireproof” your marriage from disintegrating to this point, ways of fortifying your relationship to lessen the temptation that adultery in a marriage might pose to you and your spouse.
I am passionate about giving couples the tools to strengthen their marriages and avoid these and other painful situations. As a marriage counselor, my mission is to teach the skills of building strong relationships and prevent break downs in communication before anything like adultery in a marriage is even an issue.
Are you ready to take this ounce of prevention to fortify your relationship against the pain of adultery?
Preventing Adultery In A Marriage: 5 Tips To Use Now!
1. Accept That You Are Vulnerable
Does this sound like a strange tip for preventing adultery in a marriage? The truth is, no living breathing human is free from vulnerability to temptation. It’s part of being human. Accepting your vulnerability is the first step in making a commitment to actively working to strengthen your relationship and prevent adultery in a marriage.
2. Stay honest with your partner
Honesty is one of the strongest weapons in your arsenal for preventing adultery in a marriage. Being honest even with temptations and attractions – and providing a nonjudgmental environment for your spouse to do the same – can help both of you to avoid acting on them. Dishonesty can provide an environment in which an affair can flourish.
3. Be aware of the Internet
It is too easy for an online friendship to cross into an emotional affair in the “perfect” world of the Internet where life’s little trials are not present. Be aware of the way you communicate with others online. If you would not say it with your spouse present, it’s something you should not write online, either.
4. Value Your Marital Intimacy
And this isn’t just about sex. Remain emotionally intimate with your spouse, continuing to reveal yourself to each other. Emotional intimacy with your spouse prevents adultery in a marriage, making it seem less necessary for you to become emotionally intimate with someone else.
5. Surround Yourselves With People Who Support Marriage
One of the easiest ways to prevent adultery in a marriage is to surround yourselves with other happily married friends who don’t believe in fooling around either.
Are any of these tips for preventing adultery in a marriage a surprise to you? Which one could you work more actively on in your marriage? Leave a comment below – I’d love to year from you.