“Keep your roots deep in him, build your lives on him, and become stranger in your faith.” Colossians 2:7 (GNT)

If you want to keep your marriage growing, the most important thing you can do is this: Keep on following Jesus.

When it feels like your marriage is threatening to come undone, he is the glue that will hold you together. And when you wonder if your marriage is dead, he has the power to bring it back to life.

The Bible says, “You have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord. Now keep on following him” (Colossians 2:6 CEV). You may have accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord decades ago, but you have to choose to keep following him, day after day.

And Colossians 2:7 says this: “Keep your roots deep in him, build your lives on him, and become stranger in your faith” (GNT). How in the world do you do that in your marriage? Let me give you some practical suggestions.

First, commit as a couple to making Jesus the center of your marriage. Then find a group of other Christian couples who can help you grow. That might be a church small group, Sunday school class, or just Christian friends you invite to dinner.

Next, pray for your spouse and with your spouse. The Message paraphrase says, “Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed” (James 5:16). Would you like to live together whole and healed? Of course you would. And this verse tells you how. First, admit it when you’re wrong, and second, pray for each other and pray with each other.

Finally, follow God’s Word. Proverbs 3:6 says, “Remember the LORD in everything you do, and he will show you the right way” (GNT). When you’re growing closer to God and your spouse is growing closer to God, he naturally brings you together.

I’ve got a redwood tree in my backyard that I planted years ago. For more than a decade, it grew really well. But one year it came under stress and nearly died. All the needles fell off. First, it turned yellow, and then it actually started turning red. It looked like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. I finally figured out that the sprinkler had been plugged up and it wasn’t getting any water all season. So I watered and fertilized it and spent time nurturing it. And eventually, it started sprouting new growth. The tree that was almost dead started growing again.

Your marriage may be in a stress season. Maybe it’s been in hibernation or experiencing drought. And you’ve got a Charlie Brown Christmas tree marriage. But it can come back to life.

Commit to keeping your roots deep in Jesus and building your life on him. He can bring your marriage back to life.