Date nights are great;  it’s helpful to know each other’s personality type, and good communication skills are important. But a rich, growing marriage is rooted and anchored in the safety and security that comes from knowing that your spouse’s words can be trusted, that they are true to what they say.

 

That’s according to Mark Merrill. He recently gave an idea for 6 ways to Nurture Honesty in your Marriage.

1. Make it mutual — Honesty has to be a two-way street; you have to make it a shared commitment.
2. Don’t justify — Some people call them little white lies. Or they’ll say they are just “fudging” things a bit to keep the peace or to avoid hurting someone’s feelings. No matter how you pretty it up, it’s still dishonesty.
3. Keep it kind — Some people make the mistake of confusing honesty with bluntness. But you can be direct without being insensitive. So watch your tongue
4. Check your timing — Not everything needs to be said there and then. Timeliness is an important aspect of truthfulness.
5. Silence isn’t golden — We don’t lie just with words—sometimes we can lie by withholding them.
6. Be safe ground — Committing to being transparent with one another means being willing to be seen at your worst—when you’ve failed in some way, especially in this area of honesty.

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