Secrets Of Family Success

We hear so much about what goes wrong in families that fail. But what goes right on those that thrive? Let's consider seven secrets of success:

1. The Right Priorities- What this means? - In successful marriages, each spouse puts the other's needs ahead of self, possessions, job, friends, and even other relatives. Husband and wife spend plenty of time with each other and with the children. Both are willing to make sacrifices for the interests of the family.
2. Commitment- Successful couples view their marriage as a permanent union. When a problem arises, they strive to solve it rather than use it as an excuse to abandon the marriage. When spouses have a sense of commitment, they feel secure. Each trusts that the other will continue to honor the union. Commitment is like a guardrail that prevents your marriage from going off course.
3. Teamwork - They respect the headship arrangement, which means, the husband is the head of the family. Nevertheless, both husband and wife view their marriage in terms of "ours" and "we" rather than "mine" and "me". When there is teamwork, husband and wife are no longer single at heart. They are " one flesh". Teamwork means that you are the pilot and copilot with the same flight plan.
4. Respect - Both troubled and successful families have disagreements. But successful families discuss matters without resorting to sarcasm, insults, and other forms of abusive speech. Family members treat one another as they themselves would like to be treated.
5. Reasonableness - What this means? In successful families, husbands and wives make allowances for each other's mistakes. They are also neither unduly rigid nor overly permissive with their children. They set a modest number of household rules. When correction is needed, they give it to the proper degree. Like a careful driver, a reasonable family member is prepared to yield.
6. Forgiveness - Successful couples learn from the past; but they do not keep track of old grievances and then use these to make sweeping assertions, such as " You are always late" or "You never listen". Both husband and wife believe that it is beauty on their part to pass over transgression.
7. A Firm Foundation - Strong families do not endure automatically, any more than a house just keeps standing for many decades. A solid structure needs a firm foundation, and the same is true of a strong family. Successful families are built on a source of guidance that works. If you include God in your family, no doubt- your family can withstand the storms that threaten it.