When Faith Feels One-Sided in Marriage (Marriage Unhindered)

Trakina had just discovered Relevant Radio. Young and married, she called in to Marriage Unhindered with a question many spouses quietly carry: Can a marriage thrive when one person is digging deeper into God and the other is chasing “worldly things”? She described feeling like a parent, constantly urging her husband: “Come on, let’s go to church. Come on, let’s read the Bible.” The more she pushed, the more frustrated and angry she became. Doug Hinderer affirmed her desire to grow closer to the Lord, but he warned her not to turn faith into a tug-of-war. “You will not be able to push him into religion,” Doug said. The enemy would love nothing more than to use even religion to “drive a wedge” between husband and wife. Instead, Doug encouraged her to keep deepening her own faith, especially through prayer and Sunday Mass, and to let that grace shape the way she loves her husband. “Just love him better every day,” he said. More tenderness, more patience, more kindness. In time, the fruit of her peace may awaken a holy curiosity: What changed? Where did that joy come from? Trakina recognized the shift she needed: “I’ve been trying to drag him into it wrongly using my anger.” Doug helped her recognize that she wanted to show him, gently and consistently, what God was doing in her. The best way to listen to the Best of the Week is on our #1 Free Catholic App. It’s free, and always will be! To get and share the Relevant Radio app, check it out here.