MARRIAGE WEEK- THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING 'COUPLE FRIENDS' BY ASHLEY WILLIS.

Friendship is a gift that enriches our lives in so many ways. There are many different types of friendships too. There are childhood friends we grow up with, family friends, church friends, work friends, and even the parents of our children’s friends. It’s possible to make new friends all the time. When we marry, we have the opportunity to invest in a whole other group of friends, “couple friends.” There’s something so special about a husband and wife hanging out with other couples that they both enjoy, and yet, many couples don’t see the value in these friendships or have found it challenging to make couple friends. Therefore, are forging these couple friendships worth the time and effort? Absolutely! Here’s why:

1. GOING OUT WITH COUPLE FRIENDS IS A GREAT WAY TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH YOUR SPOOUSE: Having individual friends is a good thing, but sometimes, it can be hard to balance the time we spend with friends versus the time we spend with our spouse. Our marriage must take priority over our friendships, however, when we spend time with couple friends, we get to invest in both our marriage AND our friendships at the same time.

2. COUPLE FRIENDS CAN ENCOURAGE US TO MAKE OUR MARRIAGE STRINGE: When we choose to hang with couples who love God, love us, love our spouse, and are for our marriage, we will grow in our marriage as well. Pr 27:17 says, _“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”_ The people we hang out with most often shape our marriage and lives the most. So, be sure to choose your friends wisely.

3. SPENDING SOME TIME WITH COUPLE FRIENDS HELPS TO BRING MORE FUN AND PERSPECTIVE TO OUR SEASON OF LIFE: Double-dates with couple-friends help you talk about the phases your family is going through: nursing, sleepless nights, potty-training, schooling, etc. When you have couple friends that understand what you are going through, they are like a breath of fresh air for your marriage.

So, how can we practically forge these fantastic friendships? I think a good place to start is with your individual friends. Invite your best friend and their spouse over for dinner and see how it goes. If you both feel like you enjoy spending time together as couples, then invite them over again. If not, no worries. Just stick to hanging out with your best friend on your own now and then. You don’t even have to tell her why. Sometimes couples jive; sometimes they don’t. We can’t take it personally.

Another great place to forge couple friendships is at church. Join a small group with other married couples. These groups usually start off with a bit of awkwardness because everyone is getting to know each other. However, I promise that if you hang in there and push past the awkward moments, you will make lifelong couple friends.

Bottom line, friendship takes time, but it is worth every effort. So, think about the individual friends in your life. Invite him/her and their spouse over for dinner. Join a small group for married couples at your church. Or, try something new together like dancing classes for couples or a church softball league for couples, etc. Keep at it and keep praying, and you will be surprised at the couple friends that God will place in your life!

 

BLESSINGS

ASHLEY WILLIS.