Have you ever found yourself just wanting a little relief in your marriage?
Maybe the conversations have grown stale.
Maybe you’re feeling more like roommates than soulmates.
Or maybe it’s just been a long week, and the tension in your home feels heavy.
You’re not in crisis—but you’re not exactly thriving either.
In those moments, it’s easy to reach for relief. A movie night to avoid talking. Scrolling your phone to check out for a bit. A quick laugh or a busy schedule to distract you from the quiet disconnection.
But here’s the hard truth I was reminded of recently while listening to a podcast interview with John Eldredge:
“We’re constantly reaching for relief, when what we really need is restoration.”
That hit me.
Because relief—while comforting—is temporary. It’s surface-level. It makes us feel better for a moment but never truly heals anything.
Restoration, on the other hand, goes deeper. It brings things back to life. It revives what’s been slowly fading. It addresses the root, not just the symptoms.
And in marriage, we need restoration far more than we need temporary relief.
Even if your marriage isn’t in a crisis, it might be stuck in something just as dangerous: mediocrity, boredom, or quiet disconnection.
When we settle for relief in those moments, we risk growing numb to the slow drift between us. We start surviving instead of thriving. We accept fine when God has something far better in mind.
The good news? God is a God of restoration.
He doesn’t just patch things up—He makes all things new. (Revelation 21:5)
He doesn’t just want us to get through marriage—He wants us to flourish in it.
So if you’ve been feeling the pull toward surface-level solutions lately, let this be your gentle nudge:
Don’t stop at relief.
Press in for restoration.
Invite God into the quiet places of your marriage.
Have the honest conversations you’ve been putting off.
Ask Him to breathe new life into the parts that feel weary or routine.
Because your marriage was never meant to settle for just “getting by.”
It was created to reflect the beauty, grace, and restorative power of a God who brings dead things back to life.
And He’s not done writing your story.
Need help moving from relief to restoration?
Check out our free resources and counseling options at ExpeditionMarriage.org — we’re here to walk with you every step of the way.
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