Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill it and fix it. On top of this, it’s hard for us to ask for help because we don’t want to be a burden to others. 

But in the process of meeting everyone else’s needs and neglecting our own (especially our need for rest), we often become bitter towards the ones we’re helping.

Instead, one of the best things we can do as a wife or mother is to assess our own needs and make sure to leave space to meet them ourself or to ask for what we need. 

It might be time to rest, help with the next meal, time alone to pray and meditate on God’s word, or allowing yourself to leave a task un-done so you can “selfishly” enjoy a hobby of yours like the rest of your family gets to do. 

In the end, making room to find joy each day may be one of the best things you do for your relationships.
30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet yo 30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet you. We *think* we've finally settled on a first name after non-stop back-and-forth and brainstorming. Any guesses?? Or.. what are your favorite baby girl names right now??
Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be s Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be super intentional with the time we spend with David and Evy recently, knowing that big changes are just around the corner! We pray with them, ask them what questions they have, take the time to explain things. I'm hoping they'll be set up pretty well for the transition of little sis coming in March but most of the work will happen after she gets here! How did you help littles prepare for baby?
Merry Christmas from the Damons! ❤️ Merry Christmas from the Damons! ❤️
The 12+ hour drive is worth it 😊 The 12+ hour drive is worth it 😊
We took the kids to baby's 20 week anatomy scan to We took the kids to baby's 20 week anatomy scan today and here's how it went. Have you ever brought kids to one of these appointments??
Bet you thought we were done!! 😂 We've kept it Bet you thought we were done!! 😂 We've kept it our little secret for a while but I'm so excited to let the cat out of the bag that baby #3 will be here March 2023 💙💗💗
When we know a new foster placement is coming, we When we know a new foster placement is coming, we might have a couple days or just a couple hours to prepare 😳 In any case, these are a few of the things we try to get done beforehand that help us to be more "in the moment" when he or she arrives. Would you add anything to this list?
The thing about not so simple times is that they r The thing about not so simple times is that they really make you appreciate the simple ones 🖤 

So grateful for this little fam of ours and let me just say, now that we live in the south, fall has definitely become my favorite season 🍂 The weather is 👌👌👌 meaning I can sit outside for more than 5 minutes and not break a sweat. There's so many fun festivals, and the kids go crazy pointing out all the spooky Halloween decorations and fall colors 🎃 I wish I could slow down the stage of life we're in but making memories like these will do the trick.
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divorce & separation, Marriage, Pornography, Relationships · January 8, 2017

7 ways to rebuild trust in a marriage

 There is always hope for restoration. Yeah, it’s going to need to be something you both want, and it will take time. But with time, and the steps I’m outlining here, I’m confident that you and your spouse can regain trust again.
“Because if you’re here, you must be hurting. I want you to know that I’ve been there. I’ve been the one locked in my room as a crying mess because I was so hurt by my husband’s actions. I’ve had moments when I’ve thought to myself, “I am alone. I can’t trust him anymore.” But I’m here writing this post to say that there is always hope for restoration. Yeah, it’s going to need to be something you both want, and it will take time. But with time, and the steps I’m outlining here, I’m confident that you and your spouse can regain trust again.”

 

1 | Understand your own weaknesses

It might seem weird, or even make some angry, that this is the first point in this post, but trust me, it’s no mistake. One of the biggest mistakes many people make- men or women- when their spouse damages their trust, is to get on a pedestal and- as low as their spouse might be at the moment- push them down even further with their own sense of self-righteousness. It might sound a little harsh, because, hey, you weren’t the one who messed up. But, even though it might not feel as bad as what your spouse has done, you have messed up. You are fallible. And it’s extremely important to also have a sober and brutally realistic view of yourself before you’re tempted to judge your spouse. I’m not saying it’ll be easy to do- just really important.

Now, I don’t mean to minimize what your spouse did- whatever he did. Because if you’re here, you must be hurting. I want you to know that I’ve been there. I’ve been the one locked in my room as a crying mess because I was so hurt by my husband’s actions. I’ve had moments when I’ve thought to myself, “I am alone. I can’t trust him anymore.” But I’m here writing this post to say that there is always hope for restoration. Yeah, it’s going to need to be something you both want, and it will take time. But with time, and the steps I’m outlining here, I’m confident that you and your spouse can regain trust again.

2 | Get real with your conversations

One of the best way to foster good conversations, I’ve found, is to simply go outside and leave the phones and distractions inside. If my husband and I can get ourselves to do that, conversation usually just happens. But this almost never happens accidentally. We actually have to try. Not that we never talk when we’re indoors, but our attention is often divided or our conversation is focused on things that happened that day, or what’s going on in the moment, instead of something deep and more meaningful.

Now, when you’re in the right place to have one of those more deep and meaningful conversations, be real with your spouse, and give him the chance to be real as well. What does that mean? A lot of active listening. Ask open ended questions (not just about what he did that hurt you). Ask clarifying questions. Make sure your body language communicates that you’re present and open to what he has to say. And then go ahead and be open yourself.

Also read: Bad body language habits that escalate fights.

3 | Get on the same page

This step must come before accountability for a very good reason. If you and your husband disagree on what he should be held accountable for, you’re going to have a lot of fights and stress in the future. You’re also going to end up feeling like his mommy, because you’ll be the only one trying to make sure he doesn’t “mess up” again.

When you’re in a place to have one of those good, open conversations we talked about, make sure that you are both on the same page about the expectations you have for each other. You might be really hurt by what your husband did, but if he doesn’t see an issue with he, he’s not likely going to change. You may have already gotten an apology that tells you your husband knows that his actions weren’t acceptable. If not, well, that’s an entirely different post. I have a few here that might help with that, though:

  • If I’m a Christian, do I need to put up with my husband’s crap?
  • 10 ways to handle conflict and confrontation for the best possible outcome.
  • How to speak up and be confident in relationships.

4 | Utilize accountability

This might look different based on your situation, what your husband is struggling with, and his personality type. It’s also not something that you are in charge of, although you can definitely help. Accountability needs to be something your husband wants. If he doesn’t want it, you will be forced into a controlling, distrusting relationship with your spouse that he will seek to find a way around at all costs.

It’s really important to not make your husband feel as though he’s not in time out. If he’s serious about restoration, he should seek out some measures of accountability on his own. But one thing you can do is ask him how you can help. If your husband was struggling with pornography, having adult website blocks on computers and phones is something that might be helpful for him. Being about to talk with other men spiritually mature men who know what he’s struggling with would also be extremely valuable. Ask your husband what accountability measures would be helpful to him and do your best to be consistent and follow through with those.

Also read: 5 Steps to take if you find your husband using porn

5 | Take time to regain your own confidence and feeling of self-worth

Chances are, if you’re reading this, your spouse has done something that hurts you or makes you feel betrayed. You might be thinking, if he truly loved me and valued me, then he wouldn’t have done this. Your feeling of self worth and value are all too likely to be damaged and it can be so easy to let the actions of your husband undermine your view of yourself. Take time to understand that his actions, no matter how disrespectful to you, do nothing to change your worth. You can fight for your marriage, but you don’t need to compete. You can understand how valuable you are without standing on a pedestal and telling your husband how much of a horrible person he is. You can react to him with grace and wisdom without being a pushover. You can be a pillar of strength without a sense of feeling used or being harsh. Understanding these things will do miracles in your own mental battles that come with regaining trust and intimacy in your marriage.

You can fight for your marriage, but you don’t need to compete.
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6 | Forgive, forgive, forgive

Even if this really is the last time your husband messes up in the same way, chances are, you’re going to need to forgive him- at least in your own heart- more than once. I really hate to say it, but there are things my husband did a couple years ago that still pop into my mind from time to time. And when that happens, I need to forgive him all over again. Usually, he has absolutely no idea this is even happening. And I don’t think he should. He has made tremendous strides at loving me better and growing in intimacy with both me and God. So why would I bring something up that he did years ago?

Of course, it might not actually be the last time your husband messes up. And that’s when, in all honesty, you won’t have enough strength to forgive him on your own. It defies logic, really, to forgive someone more than once for the same thing. But if we can remember what Jesus did for us, forgiving us before we were even sorry, sacrificing himself for us when he didn’t deserve it and we did, and pulling on that strength and using it to forgive our own husband, forgiveness, even for more than one of the same offence, is possible.

Romans 5:1-8 says this:

“Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access through Him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person- though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!”

Now, that’s not to say that we forgive our spouse to allow him to keep on with destructive behavior. Everything I’m writing about in this post is a group effort, a two-way street. You spouse if going to want to change and seek restoration. None of the advice in this post- or in the world- will work to help rebuild trust and intimacy unless your husband wants to change his behavior to help make that happen.

7 | Encourage and build up

As unnatural as this may feel to you at first, your husband will need to still know that you believe he has worth, is respectable, and there are things you are still proud of him for, even if you’re not proud of what he did. When you’re husband does something kind for you, even if it’s small, thank him. If he’s had a long day at work, tell him you’re proud of him for working hard.

Why is this so important?

If you want to rebuild your connection and intimacy with your spouse, he’s going to need to feel some level of respect from you. A man who feels like he has no respect from his wife will very likely withdraw into himself, refrain from being open, and loose confidence in ever being accepted by you again. Rebuilding trust will have to go both ways in your marriage. If he’s self aware at all, he’ll know that he hurt you and will feel some sort of guilt and remorse for that. People react to those feelings in different ways. If you want your husband to open up to you again, you need to let him know that he is in a safe place and you still love him, despite what happened.

Have your own story to share? What was something you did that helped rebuild intimacy and trust in your marriage after it had been lost? Share in the comments below and help a future reader!

Love you all!

 

In: divorce & separation, Marriage, Pornography, Relationships · Tagged: accountability, addiction, apologize, Christian, communicate, communication, forgive, forgiveness, help, love, marriage, porn, pornography, relationship, Respect, trust, value, weaknesses

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Comments

  1. D says

    January 8, 2017 at 3:31 am

    Wow!!
    Good advice!

  2. Yasmine @MommyCriesToo says

    February 3, 2017 at 3:30 am

    Thank you for stating that you don’t have to compete. I think a lot of people overlook this in their relationship.

    For the longest time, my husband and I would compete about everything, including who was more tired or who had a worse day. When we argued it was all about who had it worse–who was getting less.

    Using your advice can really help us all gain some insight and be better prepared. Many thanks. 🙂

  3. Rosemary loftis says

    May 30, 2020 at 5:41 pm

    Absolutely great article! Going through hurt now and trying to fix this. Great solutions. Seattle mommy

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Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill it and fix it. On top of this, it’s hard for us to ask for help because we don’t want to be a burden to others. 

But in the process of meeting everyone else’s needs and neglecting our own (especially our need for rest), we often become bitter towards the ones we’re helping.

Instead, one of the best things we can do as a wife or mother is to assess our own needs and make sure to leave space to meet them ourself or to ask for what we need. 

It might be time to rest, help with the next meal, time alone to pray and meditate on God’s word, or allowing yourself to leave a task un-done so you can “selfishly” enjoy a hobby of yours like the rest of your family gets to do. 

In the end, making room to find joy each day may be one of the best things you do for your relationships.
30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet yo 30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet you. We *think* we've finally settled on a first name after non-stop back-and-forth and brainstorming. Any guesses?? Or.. what are your favorite baby girl names right now??
Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be s Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be super intentional with the time we spend with David and Evy recently, knowing that big changes are just around the corner! We pray with them, ask them what questions they have, take the time to explain things. I'm hoping they'll be set up pretty well for the transition of little sis coming in March but most of the work will happen after she gets here! How did you help littles prepare for baby?
Merry Christmas from the Damons! ❤️ Merry Christmas from the Damons! ❤️

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Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill it and fix it. On top of this, it’s hard for us to ask for help because we don’t want to be a burden to others. 

But in the process of meeting everyone else’s needs and neglecting our own (especially our need for rest), we often become bitter towards the ones we’re helping.

Instead, one of the best things we can do as a wife or mother is to assess our own needs and make sure to leave space to meet them ourself or to ask for what we need. 

It might be time to rest, help with the next meal, time alone to pray and meditate on God’s word, or allowing yourself to leave a task un-done so you can “selfishly” enjoy a hobby of yours like the rest of your family gets to do. 

In the end, making room to find joy each day may be one of the best things you do for your relationships.
30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet yo 30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet you. We *think* we've finally settled on a first name after non-stop back-and-forth and brainstorming. Any guesses?? Or.. what are your favorite baby girl names right now??
Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be s Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be super intentional with the time we spend with David and Evy recently, knowing that big changes are just around the corner! We pray with them, ask them what questions they have, take the time to explain things. I'm hoping they'll be set up pretty well for the transition of little sis coming in March but most of the work will happen after she gets here! How did you help littles prepare for baby?
Merry Christmas from the Damons! ❤️ Merry Christmas from the Damons! ❤️
The 12+ hour drive is worth it 😊 The 12+ hour drive is worth it 😊
We took the kids to baby's 20 week anatomy scan to We took the kids to baby's 20 week anatomy scan today and here's how it went. Have you ever brought kids to one of these appointments??
Bet you thought we were done!! 😂 We've kept it Bet you thought we were done!! 😂 We've kept it our little secret for a while but I'm so excited to let the cat out of the bag that baby #3 will be here March 2023 💙💗💗
When we know a new foster placement is coming, we When we know a new foster placement is coming, we might have a couple days or just a couple hours to prepare 😳 In any case, these are a few of the things we try to get done beforehand that help us to be more "in the moment" when he or she arrives. Would you add anything to this list?
The thing about not so simple times is that they r The thing about not so simple times is that they really make you appreciate the simple ones 🖤 

So grateful for this little fam of ours and let me just say, now that we live in the south, fall has definitely become my favorite season 🍂 The weather is 👌👌👌 meaning I can sit outside for more than 5 minutes and not break a sweat. There's so many fun festivals, and the kids go crazy pointing out all the spooky Halloween decorations and fall colors 🎃 I wish I could slow down the stage of life we're in but making memories like these will do the trick.
If I was a... according to Josh 😋 What would yo If I was a... according to Josh 😋 What would your spouse say?? #ifiwasachallenge

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