Read
Ephesians 4:29, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
Think
Think about a time you were in an argument with your spouse and the phone rang. Isn't it amazing that when we answer the phone our tone can change from a gruff and heated tone with our spouse to a calm and respectful tone on the phone? Too often, we speak to our spouse in a way that we wouldn't speak to our friends! If we aren't intentional, we can speak the harshest to the person we love the most. We need to speak tactfully with our spouse which means that we need to speak with skill and sensitivity. We have to become skilled at knowing our spouse's needs in an argument and how to effectively communicate while building them up. We have to be sensitive to how the conversation is going to affect our spouse and what we can do to help them. If we can speak tactfully to others in our lives, why wouldn't we excel in speaking tactfully to our spouse?
Act
The next time you are about to have a difficult conversation with your spouse, choose to speak tactfully by taking a moment to think about how you should communicate so that you build up your spouse.
Pray
Father God, thank You for setting up marriages to win. Help me to remember the rules to fighting fair. I want my marriage to glorify You and to set an example for my family and for others as well. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.