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Is your marriage near perfect? Less than ideal? Disastrous? Or has it been all those at one time or another? Whatever the current quality of your marriage, you can benefit by observing a healthy marriage in action. Priscilla and Aquila give us one of those pictures.

Though their story threads through much of Paul's mission work, Scripture hardly mentions Priscilla without Aquila. They worked together, traveled together, and taught together. We don't even know the individual strengths of either person. As far as the biblical account is concerned, they were a team.

In real life, you know your friends better than that. You may know an outgoing, fun-loving husband with a quiet, thoughtful wife who gets things done behind the scenes. Or a brisk, skillful surgeon who is paired with a sensitive pastor-husband. You see homemaker dads linked to executive moms—and also the opposite pattern. In spite of these unlikely pairings, a healthy Christian marriage pools individual strengths to make a powerful team.

Of course, opposite qualities can make for war, not teamwork. If your marriage is heading toward war, try to spot a healthy marriage or two among your friends. Spend time with them. Watch their teamwork: how they treat each other, how they resolve differences, what they do about each other's weaknesses. Then come up with your own ideas on how you can improve the healthy of your marriage—and try one this week! (See also Genesis 2:18-23; Exodus 32:11-14; Song of Solomon 8:5-7; Hosea 14:4-8; Hebrews 13:4.)

[Apollos] began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. Acts 18:26

Plan an evening with a couple who has a healthy, successful marriage. Then discuss how to better your own teamwork.

Copyright 2003 by the author or Christianity Today International/Christian Bible Studies.

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