May 20, 2025 • 12 mins
In this empowering episode of The Stronger Deeper Marriage Show, we explore the subchapter "Commitment – Fight for Your Marriage" from my book, That Secret Sauce: Essential Ingredients for Creating an Exceptional Marriage.
Marriage isn’t always easy, and there are moments when distractions, temptations, or even complacency threaten to pull couples apart. In this episode, we’ll dive into why staying committed and protecting your marriage is essential for long-term success.
Join me as I share practical ways to refocus on your spouse, avoid relationship deal-breakers, and cultivate a marriage that stands the test of time. Whether you’re in a challenging season or simply looking to strengthen your relationship, this episode will encourage you to keep fighting for the love and partnership you’ve built.
Let’s commit to protecting, nurturing, and investing in our marriages—one intentional step at a time.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:09):
What's going on, everyone, and welcome to the
Stronger, Deeper Marriage Show.
My name is Lucille Reddick, andI've been married for over 39
years.
For more than 20 years, I'vebeen coaching married men and
women, as well as those who hopeto get married in the future, to
create blissful marriages.
I travel around the countryspeaking about healthy marriage
(00:31):
relationships, and I am theauthor of the book, That Secret
Sauce, essential ingredients forcreating an exceptional
marriage.
Now, this show is your go-tosource for building a thriving
marriage filled withlong-lasting happiness, peace,
purpose, and passion.
(00:53):
Whether you're a woman or a man,join us as we navigate the
journey to a stronger, morefulfilling relationship without
the fear of vulnerability andrejection.
If you enjoy the show, pleasemake sure to like and subscribe
so you never miss an episode.
In this episode, I want to talkabout the next subchapter of my
(01:14):
book.
Let's dive right in, shall we?
Now, this subchapter, the titleis Commitment, Fight for Your
Marriage.
Today's episode focuses on theimportance of commitment and
practical ways to fight for yourmarriage.
(01:35):
Why should you fight for yourmarriage and spouse?
Because certain deal breakerscan immediately sink your
relationship.
Avoid them like the plague.
Stay away from even theappearance of these deal
breakers.
If the temptation arises, run.
(01:57):
It is unrealistic to expect thatyou will be happy all the time
in your marriage.
Focus on the things that willimprove your marriage.
Sometimes life happens and wetake our focus off of our
marriage.
The demands of work, parenting,could be taking care of parents.
(02:19):
Those might take our focus awayfrom our marriage.
But always, always, always bringthe focus back and remember that
you must put some energy intoyour marriage and connecting
with your spouse.
Let me share a personal storyabout the importance of
(02:40):
commitment in my marriage.
There was a time in our marriagewhen life felt like it was
spinning out of control.
Our kids were young.
My husband and I were bothworking long hours.
And on top of that, we were alsohelping to care for my aging
mom.
(03:00):
My days were packed from morningto night between work, school
events, and sporting events thatthe kids were involved in, and
household responsibilities.
It felt like I was always on.
running from one thing to thenext without ever catching a
(03:22):
break.
Now, in the middle of all thatbusyness, I started feeling
distant from my husband.
We barely had a chance to sitdown together.
And when we did, we were usuallytoo exhausted to even talk.
It wasn't that we were fightingor having problems.
(03:43):
It was more like we had becomepartners And just managing life
rather than being partners inour relationship.
There was just no time for us.
And I felt the absence of thatcloseness deeply.
One night after everyone hadgone to bed, I sat in the quiet
(04:06):
of the den or living room.
I don't remember which one.
I just prayed.
And I asked God for guidance.
to help in bringing some lifeback to our marriage.
I wanted to feel connectedagain, and I knew that change
needed to start with me.
(04:27):
I didn't talk to my husbandabout it.
I just made the decision thenand there to make some
adjustments.
The next day, I started withsmall things.
I made a point to greet myhusband with a smile when he
came from work.
Instead of just being wrapped upin whatever I was doing, I tried
(04:52):
to find little ways to show Icared.
There was packing him a lunchfrom now, every now and then, or
even a note in with the lunch,or just making sure to sit with
him, just briefly at the end ofa long day.
Then, I decided to create asimple routine just for us.
(05:17):
Once a week after putting thekids to bed, we would share a
favorite snack or dessert justfor the two of us.
At first, it was quiet.
Neither of us had much to say,but over time, these little
adjustments became something weboth look forward to.
(05:39):
Those simple weekly moments ofconnection were exactly what we
needed to remind ourselves ofour partnership and our
commitment to each other.
I hoped that these small changeswould make a big impact, and
they did.
We began to feel closer, morelike a team again.
(06:02):
Through prayer and those smallacts of intentional connection,
I found that my feelings ofdistance slowly faded and our
marriage felt renewed.
It reminded me that even in thebusiest of seasons, God can use
small gestures to strengthen ourcommitment to each other.
(06:26):
Now, my solution was, numberone, turning to prayer for
guidance.
Instead of confronting myhusband with my feelings, I just
prayed about this one and askedGod to guide me, trusting that
the answers would come in hisway.
(06:48):
Number two, I took it uponmyself to make little gestures
and establish simple routinesthat brought us closer together,
showing that even small,consistent efforts can reignite
(07:12):
a sense of connection.
So let me share with you threetakeaways.
Number one, prioritize yourmarriage even when life gets
busy.
It's natural for work, family,and other obligations to demand
(07:32):
our attention, but it'sessential to focus on our
marriage regularly.
Even small intentional acts canhelp you reconnect and keep your
marriage relationship strong.
Number two, avoid relationshipdeal breakers and guard your
(07:56):
commitment.
Now, certain behaviors orinfluences can harm or even end
relationships.
Be mindful to avoid them and setboundaries that protect your
marriage.
Recognize that commitment meansstaying loyal to the vows you
made, even when faced withtemptations or challenges.
(08:20):
Number three, reconnect insimple ways.
Reconnecting doesn't mean I haveto involve these grand gestures,
simple things like just settingaside time to pray for your
spouse, enjoying a weekly datenight or sharing a cup of coffee
(08:41):
or dessert together can go along way in strengthening your
bond.
The effort to connect, even insmall ways, is what keeps your
commitment alive.
Now I want you to think aboutwhat are some things you can do
Reflect on this and take someactionable steps to prioritize
(09:03):
your marriage.
I'd like to pray for ourmarriages now.
Heavenly Father, we come beforeyou today with grateful hearts,
thanking you for the gift ofmarriage.
Lord, we acknowledge that lifecan sometimes pull our focus in
(09:24):
many directions, And it's easyto let our relationships slip
into the background.
But today, we ask you to help usto recommit to the vows we've
made and to the love you'veplaced between us.
Father, I pray for everymarriage listening to this
(09:45):
episode.
Help each couple to remember whythey chose one another and to
see the beauty and strength intheir relationship.
Remind them, Lord, that nomatter how busy life gets,
marriage is worth the energy,the love, and the commitment we
(10:08):
give it.
Guide us all to resist anythingthat could harm our
relationships and help us tostay focused on building a
marriage that honors you.
Lord, grant us the wisdom tofind those small moments to
reconnect with and to make timefor one another.
Help us to love each other withpatience, understanding, and
(10:33):
grace.
When we feel distant ordisconnected, let us turn to you
first for guidance and strength.
Father, may every marriage herebe renewed with a deeper
commitment and a stronger focus.
Let your love be the foundationof every union and let your
(10:56):
peace fill each home.
We thank you, Lord, for thebeautiful gift of marriage, and
we trust you to keep us unitedand strong.
It's in Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
Now that's a glimpse into thesubchapter, Commitment, Fight
(11:17):
for Your Marriage, from my book,That Secret Sauce, Essential
Ingredients for Creating anExceptional Marriage.
I'd like for you to...
(11:38):
That's all for today's episodeof the Stronger Deeper Marriage
Show.
Thank you so much for spendingyour time with me today.
I deeply appreciate each andevery one of you for tuning in.
And if you know someone whocould benefit from our
discussions, share the podcastwith them.
(11:58):
And if you found value intoday's episode, please tell
others about the show.
And for more valuable contentabout relationships, sign up for
my newsletter.
Join us next time as we continueto explore ways to strengthen
and deepen your marriage.
(12:18):
Until then, keep striving for amarriage full of peace, purpose
and passion.
What's going on, everyone, and welcome to the
Stronger, Deeper Marriage Show.
My name is Lucille Reddick, andI've been married for over 39
years.
For more than 20 years, I'vebeen coaching married men and
women, as well as those who hopeto get married in the future, to
create blissful marriages.
I travel around the countryspeaking about healthy marriage
(00:31):
relationships, and I am theauthor of the book, That Secret
Sauce, essential ingredients forcreating an exceptional
marriage.
Now, this show is your go-tosource for building a thriving
marriage filled withlong-lasting happiness, peace,
purpose, and passion.
(00:53):
Whether you're a woman or a man,join us as we navigate the
journey to a stronger, morefulfilling relationship without
the fear of vulnerability andrejection.
If you enjoy the show, pleasemake sure to like and subscribe
so you never miss an episode.
In this episode, I want to talkabout the next subchapter of my
(01:14):
book.
Let's dive right in, shall we?
Now, this subchapter, the titleis Commitment, Fight for Your
Marriage.
Today's episode focuses on theimportance of commitment and
practical ways to fight for yourmarriage.
(01:35):
Why should you fight for yourmarriage and spouse?
Because certain deal breakerscan immediately sink your
relationship.
Avoid them like the plague.
Stay away from even theappearance of these deal
breakers.
If the temptation arises, run.
(01:57):
It is unrealistic to expect thatyou will be happy all the time
in your marriage.
Focus on the things that willimprove your marriage.
Sometimes life happens and wetake our focus off of our
marriage.
The demands of work, parenting,could be taking care of parents.
(02:19):
Those might take our focus awayfrom our marriage.
But always, always, always bringthe focus back and remember that
you must put some energy intoyour marriage and connecting
with your spouse.
Let me share a personal storyabout the importance of
(02:40):
commitment in my marriage.
There was a time in our marriagewhen life felt like it was
spinning out of control.
Our kids were young.
My husband and I were bothworking long hours.
And on top of that, we were alsohelping to care for my aging
mom.
(03:00):
My days were packed from morningto night between work, school
events, and sporting events thatthe kids were involved in, and
household responsibilities.
It felt like I was always on.
running from one thing to thenext without ever catching a
(03:22):
break.
Now, in the middle of all thatbusyness, I started feeling
distant from my husband.
We barely had a chance to sitdown together.
And when we did, we were usuallytoo exhausted to even talk.
It wasn't that we were fightingor having problems.
(03:43):
It was more like we had becomepartners And just managing life
rather than being partners inour relationship.
There was just no time for us.
And I felt the absence of thatcloseness deeply.
One night after everyone hadgone to bed, I sat in the quiet
(04:06):
of the den or living room.
I don't remember which one.
I just prayed.
And I asked God for guidance.
to help in bringing some lifeback to our marriage.
I wanted to feel connectedagain, and I knew that change
needed to start with me.
(04:27):
I didn't talk to my husbandabout it.
I just made the decision thenand there to make some
adjustments.
The next day, I started withsmall things.
I made a point to greet myhusband with a smile when he
came from work.
Instead of just being wrapped upin whatever I was doing, I tried
(04:52):
to find little ways to show Icared.
There was packing him a lunchfrom now, every now and then, or
even a note in with the lunch,or just making sure to sit with
him, just briefly at the end ofa long day.
Then, I decided to create asimple routine just for us.
(05:17):
Once a week after putting thekids to bed, we would share a
favorite snack or dessert justfor the two of us.
At first, it was quiet.
Neither of us had much to say,but over time, these little
adjustments became something weboth look forward to.
(05:39):
Those simple weekly moments ofconnection were exactly what we
needed to remind ourselves ofour partnership and our
commitment to each other.
I hoped that these small changeswould make a big impact, and
they did.
We began to feel closer, morelike a team again.
(06:02):
Through prayer and those smallacts of intentional connection,
I found that my feelings ofdistance slowly faded and our
marriage felt renewed.
It reminded me that even in thebusiest of seasons, God can use
small gestures to strengthen ourcommitment to each other.
(06:26):
Now, my solution was, numberone, turning to prayer for
guidance.
Instead of confronting myhusband with my feelings, I just
prayed about this one and askedGod to guide me, trusting that
the answers would come in hisway.
(06:48):
Number two, I took it uponmyself to make little gestures
and establish simple routinesthat brought us closer together,
showing that even small,consistent efforts can reignite
(07:12):
a sense of connection.
So let me share with you threetakeaways.
Number one, prioritize yourmarriage even when life gets
busy.
It's natural for work, family,and other obligations to demand
(07:32):
our attention, but it'sessential to focus on our
marriage regularly.
Even small intentional acts canhelp you reconnect and keep your
marriage relationship strong.
Number two, avoid relationshipdeal breakers and guard your
(07:56):
commitment.
Now, certain behaviors orinfluences can harm or even end
relationships.
Be mindful to avoid them and setboundaries that protect your
marriage.
Recognize that commitment meansstaying loyal to the vows you
made, even when faced withtemptations or challenges.
(08:20):
Number three, reconnect insimple ways.
Reconnecting doesn't mean I haveto involve these grand gestures,
simple things like just settingaside time to pray for your
spouse, enjoying a weekly datenight or sharing a cup of coffee
(08:41):
or dessert together can go along way in strengthening your
bond.
The effort to connect, even insmall ways, is what keeps your
commitment alive.
Now I want you to think aboutwhat are some things you can do
Reflect on this and take someactionable steps to prioritize
(09:03):
your marriage.
I'd like to pray for ourmarriages now.
Heavenly Father, we come beforeyou today with grateful hearts,
thanking you for the gift ofmarriage.
Lord, we acknowledge that lifecan sometimes pull our focus in
(09:24):
many directions, And it's easyto let our relationships slip
into the background.
But today, we ask you to help usto recommit to the vows we've
made and to the love you'veplaced between us.
Father, I pray for everymarriage listening to this
(09:45):
episode.
Help each couple to remember whythey chose one another and to
see the beauty and strength intheir relationship.
Remind them, Lord, that nomatter how busy life gets,
marriage is worth the energy,the love, and the commitment we
(10:08):
give it.
Guide us all to resist anythingthat could harm our
relationships and help us tostay focused on building a
marriage that honors you.
Lord, grant us the wisdom tofind those small moments to
reconnect with and to make timefor one another.
Help us to love each other withpatience, understanding, and
(10:33):
grace.
When we feel distant ordisconnected, let us turn to you
first for guidance and strength.
Father, may every marriage herebe renewed with a deeper
commitment and a stronger focus.
Let your love be the foundationof every union and let your
(10:56):
peace fill each home.
We thank you, Lord, for thebeautiful gift of marriage, and
we trust you to keep us unitedand strong.
It's in Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
Now that's a glimpse into thesubchapter, Commitment, Fight
(11:17):
for Your Marriage, from my book,That Secret Sauce, Essential
Ingredients for Creating anExceptional Marriage.
I'd like for you to...
(11:38):
That's all for today's episodeof the Stronger Deeper Marriage
Show.
Thank you so much for spendingyour time with me today.
I deeply appreciate each andevery one of you for tuning in.
And if you know someone whocould benefit from our
discussions, share the podcastwith them.
(11:58):
And if you found value intoday's episode, please tell
others about the show.
And for more valuable contentabout relationships, sign up for
my newsletter.
Join us next time as we continueto explore ways to strengthen
and deepen your marriage.
(12:18):
Until then, keep striving for amarriage full of peace, purpose
and passion.
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