Love Is Not Proud or Passive (Love Is... Series) - with Chris and Jamie Bailey

Love is Not Proud or Passive (Love Is… Series) - with Chris and Jamie Bailey <p>Continuing with the Love is series, I had the honor of chatting with Christian marriage counselors Chris and Jamie Bailey of Expedition Marriage. Chris and Jamie have been married over 27 years, but their journey hasn’t always been easy. In today’s conversation we talk about taking responsibility for your baggage. If we are always looking at our spouse as the problem, it will cause friction in our marriages and relationships. This doesn’t allow us to love freely and be fully supported in our partnerships. We go on to discuss how love is not proud or passive. They are two opposite extremes that show up in a lot of marriages.</p> <p>Pride destroys, and passivity can cause resentment in our marriages. The solution is that we must learn to allow each other’s voice to be heard without resorting to either extreme. </p> <p> </p> How to Support and not Compete  <p>It’s important for couples to understand the amount of refinement that comes with marriage. It takes work y’all! It is a learned skill to learn how to support and encourage each other without competing with each other. Jamie said, “I learned that my job and my success is helping him become what God created him to be. Success looks different in marriage. It’s the goal of becoming one and looking out for each other. When you bring pride into that, it’s one looking out for themselves.”</p> <p>It feels so good when we can support our partners fully and help them become a better person and better partner. Chris said,“Next to God, your partner should be your most impactful resource. When you are able to be there and support your partner, you can celebrate your wins together.” That’s what it means to support one another without competing. </p> <p> </p> Self-Protection vs Vulnerability in Marriage <p>Many couples are dealing with a fear of disconnection. At times, we are afraid of our emotions and how these emotions will affect our partners. Often, we quiet ourselves in order to keep the pe