Stewardship Well Done Journey
Step 1 – PRIORITIES
Roadblock #3 – What if my priorities are different from my spouse?

Wouldn’t it be nice if spouses always agreed? Instead, we know that lack of communication and disagreements about finances are two of the top reasons for divorce.

Are you and your spouse cut from the same cloth? Or does the saying “opposites attract” apply to you? Regardless, there are probably some priorities that you can agree on. Focus on those first as a foundation for further discussion on priorities. As you begin to talk about topics you differ on, ask yourself if you are really talking about priorities. Last week we covered how goals are different from priorities. Perhaps your priorities really do line up, but your goals are different. That’s OK!

Let’s say a couple disagrees about how much money should be spent on golf (sound familiar to anyone? HA!). Mr. Golf says it is a priority, but Mrs. Golf disagrees. In looking back on the priorities they agree on, they notice HEALTH on the list. Mrs. Golf realizes golf is a way for her husband to de-stress after a difficult week at work and practice good self-care. So really, they agree on the priority of HEALTH, but have different goals to accomplish that priority.

It is also perfectly acceptable for priorities to carry different weights; they don’t all need to be equal. Each slice of the pie chart can be a different size. Give more weight to the priorities you agree on, and perhaps give lesser weight to one priority for each of you.

It has often been said that the way to spell marriage is C-O-M-P-R-O-M-I-S-E. This definitely applies to a discussion about priorities.