Eight Ways to Spring Clean Your Marriage, Your Heart, and Your Home

Spring clean your marriage? Even if you hate cleaning, dust still settles, cobwebs form, paint peels, and stuff accumulates. Our homes, our yards, our hearts, and even our marriages need a good spring cleaning often. You can apply today’s principles to all of those areas, but especially marriage.

How long has it been since you’ve done a thorough cleaning of your marriage? Here’s an article I wrote that might give you some ideas: Is It Time to Spring Clean Your Marriage?

Is It Time to Spring Clean Your Marriage?

Rebecca Barlow Jordan

Just as a house needs a thorough spring-cleaning after a long, dormant winter, so do our marriages. As we sweep out the cobwebs in the neglected corners of our lives, we’ll discover a new sparkle and shine. Here are eight ways to freshen up your marriage:

1. Develop a plan for your cleaning ritual.

What areas will you attack first? Personal disciplines? Attitudes? Neglected appearances? Habits? Expectations? Communication? List the goals you want to accomplish in your marriage. Be specific. Without a detailed plan, you’ll miss some hidden corners.

2. Sort through accumulated expectations.

Most marriages begin with hidden agendas of his or her expectations. If a wife expects her husband to continue romancing her after the honeymoon and he fails, resentment may follow. A husband who secretly longs for a wife like his mother may set himself up for disappointment when his wife exhibits the opposite behavior. Be realistic with each other about meeting needs. Although God is the only one who can meet your total needs, a mutual exchange of longings and wishes will encourage give and take and help avoid unnecessary hurt.

3. Discard old habits.

Keep a journal of old personal patterns and childish behaviors. Note negative emotions and describe your feelings. Ask yourself, “Could I be taking this situation personally? What does God want to teach me here? Did I in any way cause this?” Even housecleaning experts need extra help to destroy unwanted, moldy habits and to filter out compacted dirt.

4. Mend the tears of broken relationships and hurt feelings.

A stitch in honesty and forgiveness will save years of unraveling. Love is eager to settle differences. Godly love is neither blind nor faultfinding. True love sees weaknesses but rallies to cover them with strength, compassion and encouragement.

5. Clean out forgotten closets.

Family therapist Dixon Murrah once said, “Secrets destroy family unity.” Though you may hesitate to reveal hidden skeletons to your mate, remember that marriage intimacy is based on honesty and trust. As you share your family background, open your heart to the negative hurts as well as to the joys of your past. It is always easier to deal with the known than the unknown. And when you understand the whys of your mate’s compulsive behaviors or peculiarities, you’ll find a greater capacity for gentleness and love.

6. Replace worn-out clothes of bitterness with new garments of praise.

This will require time for personal discipline with the Lord in prayer and Bible study. Meditate on His Word daily, and you will find your marriage adorned with new beauty.

7. Vacuum up the spills of harsh words and thoughtless deeds.

During emotional or physical stress, (or pandemics) even the best of marriages suffer temporary dysfunction. Get plenty of rest, and plan your activities around peak energy levels. Be especially gentle with each other during stressful times. Be willing to absorb the spills and work together with love.

8. Polish your marriage often with generous coats of compliments and caring behaviors.

Continue this maintenance program daily, not just at once-a-year spring cleaning time. Catch your mate doing something noteworthy, and give word gifts of praise. Exchange caring behavior lists with each other, listing the things you’d each like your spouse to do for you.

No matter how perfect a housekeeper you think you are, stop and spring clean your marriage often. You’ll improve its value by 100 per cent.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life (Psalm 139:23-24 NLT).

*Even if you’re single, try adapting these same ways to spring clean your heart. It will improve your relationships with others and with God.

*Here’s another blog post I wrote on marriage that you might enjoy: Is the Light on in Your Marriage?

It’s Your Turn

What areas of your life or marriage need spring cleaning? What other spring cleaning tips would you suggest? Which ones are the hardest to do? I’d love to hear from you anytime. You can always write me through my contact page. If you’ll fill out the basic name and address info, then the e-mail will come to me. Your name or info will never be shared with anyone without your permission.

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