The best marriages are based on friendship. In fact, the happiest marriages are based on friendship.

Most people are likely to have longer lasting friendships than they will marriages. I mean once the honeymoon phase is over so is most marriages. This is because most marriages miss the friendship elements that would make them successful. Below are 3 reasons why marriages based on friendship are more successful.

Trust

All good relationships are based on trust. Friendships provide an opportunity to build it. It’s the little ingredient that makes it easy to love wholeheartedly. Gradually we get acquainted with the inner person, their ideas, dreams, values, thoughts etc. The more we get acquainted the more we learn of their character and know them, this becomes very important in the future.

Building a foundation takes time and care. Friendship is never rushed and most importantly has no expectations or demands. Overtime a firm relationship sprouts through communication and experience providing a fertile field for romantic love.

The real you

Where relationships start off as romantic there is always pressure to put your best foot forward and make an impression. On the other hand friendships start with no expectations and no need to prove anything. It’s a “what you see is what you get” type of arrangement. There is absolutely no pressure to be something or someone you are not. This leads us to the next point.

Honesty

There is always an element of “I don’t want to hurt her/his feelings” in romantic relationships. But true friends tell it like it is, and surprisingly the one told will take it positively and will rarely get hurt. Honesty is what maintains the relationship once trust has been built. Good friends don’t lie and they don’t keep information back. A godly relationship cannot be maintained if a couple refuses to be open with one another about their goals, dreams, temptations and weaknesses. If you are accustomed to being honest with your friends, honesty will come much more easily in marriage.

In conclusion, marriage should be friendship taken to a next level (with benefits lol). When best friends marry, it’s a vow that they will be friends for the rest of their lives. If you are not married yet, the best candidate is right under your nose . If you are already married, work towards being the best friend to your spouse. If you didn’t get an opportunity to marry your best friend then you have an opportunity to make a best friend out of the one you married.