43: Creating Guardrails to Protect Your Marriage

Love How Deep Marriage

Welcome back to another episode of the Love How Deep Podcast where Brian and Heather Mayer work to equip you as a married couple with resources that rely on the transformative power of God's Word to strengthen your relationship.

Today we are talking about Creating Guardrails to Protect Your Marriage.

Ep 43

Brian and Heather Mayer discuss the importance of establishing guardrails in marriage to prevent destruction, including being mindful of opposite sex friendships in both personal and professional settings. They emphasize the need for transparency, open communication, and mutual respect to maintain healthy boundaries and avoid potential harm. They also discuss the importance of balancing work and personal life to avoid burnout and prioritize family, emphasizing the need for open communication, setting guardrails, and keeping God at the center of their marriage to strengthen their relationship.

Action Items

• [ ] Consider which guardrails you and your spouse may need to discuss implementing in your own marriage.
• [ ] Visit the website lovehowdeep.com for free marriage assessment exercises and date night ideas to facilitate guardrail discussions.
• [ ] Continue the important practice of praying together daily and reading Scripture as a couple.
• [ ] Get back on track with their daily devotional if they've fallen away from it.

Outline Creating guardrails to protect marriages from Satan's destruction.

• Marriage protection strategies discussed to prevent Satan's destruction.
• Heather Mayer shares personal experiences with guardrails, from near-drowning to bowling, and their importance in life and marriage.
• Brian and Heather discuss guardrails in marriage, starting with being careful about opposite sex friendships.

Guardrails for opposite-sex friendships and social media interactions to avoid temptation and maintain marriage integrity.

• Brian Mayer acknowledges his past mistakes and seeks to avoid situations where he's alone with someone of the opposite sex.
• Heather Mayer shares her experience of being pursued by a coworker and how it contributed to the demise of her marriage.
• Heather Mayer emphasizes the importance of guardrails in texting and social media interactions to avoid blurring boundaries and maintain a pure and holy relationship with one's spouse.
• Ephesians 5:3 highlights the need for godly behavior in these interactions, with no hint of sexual immorality or impurity, and the importance of involving one's spouse in these matters.

Maintaining healthy relationships through accountability and limiting access to harmful content.

• Brian Mayer discusses the importance of respecting each other's privacy in a marriage.
• Brian Mayer suggests setting up accountability partners to help manage computer pornography use.

Prioritizing family over work and keeping God at the center of marriage.

• Heather Mayer shares her personal experience of feeling neglected by her husband's overwork, leading to a decision to prioritize family time.
• Ecclesiastes 3:1 is cited to emphasize the importance of balancing work and family, and making time for loved ones a priority.
• Heather and Brian prioritize keeping God at the center of their marriage through prayer and reading Scripture together.
• They emphasize the importance of unity and compromise in their relationship, even when they don't always agree on everything.

Maintaining a healthy marriage through mindfulness and quality time.

• Heather Mayer and Brian Mayer discuss the importance of limiting screen time and finding alternative activities to strengthen their marriage.
• They share an idea of once a week, turning off the TV and finding games or activities to do together.
• Brian and Heather share a passion for puzzles, singing, and spending time together, but they also prioritize individual hobbies and interests to maintain a healthy balance in their relationship.
• The couple emphasizes the importance of finding common ground and shared interests, while also respecting each other's need for alone time and personal pursuits.

Setting guardrails in marriage for shared activities and trust.

• Brian and Heather Mayer prioritize finding common ground and doing things together, even if they don't initially enjoy the activity.
• They believe in setting guardrails in their marriage to maintain a strong and healthy relationship.
• Heather Mayer encourages couples to set guardrails for trust and togetherness in their marriage.
• The Mayers invite listeners to visit their website for free resources, including a core values exercise and date night ideas.