Why Fun is the Secret Ingredient for a Thriving Marriage

Remember when you first fell in love? Those days filled with spontaneous adventures, inside jokes, and laughter over the smallest things? Somewhere along the way, between managing bills, coordinating schedules, and tackling life's responsibilities, many marriages transform into business partnerships rather than joyful companionship.

This episode uncovers why fun isn't just a nice addition to your marriage—it's absolutely essential. The simple truth is that couples who play together tend to stay together. We explore why joy isn't just emotionally beneficial but spiritually significant as well. As Galatians 5:22 reminds us, joy is a fruit of the Spirit, making playfulness in marriage not a distraction from spiritual growth but evidence of it.

When marriage feels heavy, laughter serves as medicine. It builds intimacy, breaks tension, and reinforces that foundational friendship that brought you together in the first place. I share practical, accessible ways to reintroduce fun into your relationship—from weekly date nights and inside jokes to adventure jars filled with activities you can pull from when connection feels distant. The goal isn't perfection; it's connection. Fun creates the bridge back to friendship, and friendship is the soil where love continues to grow and flourish.

Don't wait for fun to find you—make it happen! Schedule it, prioritize it, and protect it as if your marriage depends on it. Because in many ways, it does. Fun might not fix everything, but it fuels everything by reminding you both that marriage isn't just about surviving together; it's about enjoying the journey side by side. What small moment of joy will you create in your relationship this week?

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Episode Transcript

Renee Richel (00:07):
Hi, I'm Renee Richel, the founder and
president of 1 True Match.
I'm here to help you find andcultivate the love of your life.
For over a decade, I'vededicated my life to the
importance, purpose and dynamicof human relationships.
My team and I are disciplinedby faith, love and integrity to
help our clients find thequality relationship they've

(00:28):
always dreamt of.
Each week, I will be sharingthe tools and tips I've learned
that have rooted my success as amatchmaker with other leaders
around the world.
Hello loves, welcome back.
I hope you've had an upliftingand powerful week.

(00:48):
Today we're going to dive intowhy fun is the secret ingredient
in marriage.
I'm so excited about this topicand episode today.
It's lighthearted, joyful, butalso so important.
Today we're talking about thesecret ingredient to a thriving

(01:09):
marriage fun, that's right.
Laughter, playfulness, insidejokes, silly moments, joy
because the truth is, coupleswho play together tend to stay
together.
Couples who play together tendto stay together.
So if you've been feeling likeyour relationship has gotten a

(01:31):
little too serious, a little toobusiness-like, a little too
boring or just weighed down byresponsibilities and daily
routines, this one's definitelyfor you.
Let's be honest when you firstfall in love, having fun comes
naturally.
You're dating, you're going onadventures, you're trying new

(01:53):
restaurants, you're laughingover the smallest things.
But then life happens Kids,work, bills, schedules.
Before you know it, yourrelationship starts to feel like
a business partnership insteadof a friendship.
Anymore, all you talk about isgroceries, budgets and who's

(02:13):
picking up the kids, but youforget to just be silly together
and enjoy one another's company.

In Ecclesiastes 3 (02:20):
4, it reminds us there is a time to weep and
a time to laugh, a time to mournand a time to dance.
Yes, there's a time for deeptalks and spiritual growth, but
there's also time for just laugh, let loose and enjoy each other

(02:44):
.
Laughter builds connection,playfulness relieves stress and
fun reminds you why you fell inlove in the first place.
Sometimes we think laughter isless spiritual than prayer or
study.
But did you know that joy isactually a fruit of the spirit?

(03:04):
In Galatians 5:22, it says butthe fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, joy isn't adistraction from your spiritual
life.
It's a sign that the Spirit isat work and your joy is your
marriage.
That's a gift from God.

(03:26):
Laughing together buildsintimacy.
It breaks tension.
It says we're still friendseven in the chaos.
Fun doesn't mean immaturity.
It means staying connectedbecause in the long run, it's
not just the couples who praytogether that stay together,
it's also the couples who havefun together.

(03:47):
Fun cultivates more memorieswith one another to cherish for
years to come.
So you may be thinking, renee,how do we actually bring the fun
back into our marriage?
Here's a few simple ideas.
To get started, have a weeklydate night, even if it's 30

(04:09):
minutes at home, playing a sillycard game together.
Have inside jokes.
Bring back the phrases ormoments that make you both crack
up.
Send funny texts during the dayto make your spouse smile.
Don't take yourself tooseriously Messing up dinner.
Laugh about it.
Have an adventurous jar.

(04:31):
Write down some fun activitiesyou like to do with your spouse
and pull one out of the jar eachweek.
Try something new togetherDance class, miniature golf or
even a puzzle.
Remember the goal isn'tperfection, it's connection.
Remember the goal isn'tperfection, it's connection.
And if you're thinking we'vegrown apart, we don't even know

(04:54):
how to have fun anymore, it'sokay, just start small.
Sometimes laughter is the resultof choosing joy first, not
waiting for it.
Proverbs 17:22 says a cheerfulheart is good medicine.
But a crushed spirit dries upthe bones.

(05:15):
When marriage feels heavy,laughter is medicine.
It's not a cure-all, but it's aheart softener.
It helps you both exhale andremember you're on the same team
.
Especially in tough seasons,choosing to laugh together helps
heal wounds and soften hearts.

(05:36):
Fun is the bridge back tofriendship and friendship is the
soil where love keeps growing.
And when love keeps growing,the garden of your marriage can
begin to flourish.
So in conclusion, today I wantto challenge you Don't wait for

(06:00):
fun to find you.
Go, make it happen, schedule it, prioritize it, protect it,
like your marriage depends on itBecause, honestly, it kind of
does.
Fun might not fix everything,but it fuels everything, it
restores joy, it reminds youthat marriage isn't just about

(06:25):
surviving, it's about enjoyingthe journey together.
It's about enjoying the journeytogether.
Thank you so much for joiningme today on 1 True Talks.
Here's to laughing more, lovingmore and remembering that fun
is not optional, it's essential.
Until next time, keep God atthe center and don't forget to
smile a little more this week.

(06:48):
Next week we're going to talkabout money talks, a kingdom
approach to money and marriage.
You definitely don't want tomiss that talk.
I hope you have a fantastic,beautiful week and spread your
wings in love and message toothers.
I can't wait till our next chat.
God bless.

(07:15):
It's been another great talk onthis episode of 1 True Talks by
Renee Richel.
I look forward to our next chat.
Please write in your questionsand comments so I can be sure to
talk about whatever it is youwant to discuss in our next
upcoming episode.
Lots of Love, God Bless.
XOXO.