Special note: While I don’t support the show, The Bachelor, in the spirit of supporting Christian marriages, I am choosing to encourage Sean & Catherine in their faith. I’m proud of their stand and this post, 3 Christian principles that ground Sean & Catherine’s marriage, is a great example of love that gives.
This is an exclusive guest post written by The Bachelor’s Sean Lowe. Sean fell in love with Catherine Giudici and they married in a nationally-televised fairytale last January. But this is just the beginning for the newlyweds.
In his new autobiography, For The Right Reasons, Sean tells all about the backstage drama that fuels The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, how he overcame heartbreak to find his true love, and the personal struggles and Christian faith that have made him the man he is today.
Staying Humble
One thing I’ve had to learn during our marriage is to humble myself each and every day. Having to be right about something can quickly lead to butting heads over even the smallest issues. If I’m not willing to humble myself, I’ll just go on believing I’m right regardless of what Catherine says, because in those situations, I’m not really listening to her.
I have to get humble and slow myself down. Then, I can listen to her point of view and we can really start to talk things out. As newlyweds, this isn’t easy for either of us, but it’s something that we both realize is important.
Putting Catherine’s Needs First
I’ve also learned the importance – actually the necessity – of putting Catherine’s needs before mine. I truly have to be concerned about her well-being above my own. Having recently been a single guy, this is tough! It goes against all human nature about self-preservation, but that’s why it’s so special. It’s marriage, where two become one. In a sense, I’m not just putting her needs above mine, I’m putting our needs above my own selfish desires.
Letting The Small Things Stay Small
Forgiveness is important in any relationship. Even when there’s not something really serious I need to forgive Catherine for, forgiveness is essentially the act of letting something go.
Every now and then, something as small as where we’re going to eat dinner on a particular night can start an argument. I’ve got tell myself, “Hey, Listen! It’s not that big of a deal. I love my wife with all my heart. I’m going to put this behind me and move on.”
Anything can become a big deal if you make it into a big deal, but that’s just it! Picking a restaurant is not a big deal, it’s a small deal – a very small deal. Letting those small things stay small things can always be a challenge, but it’s so important!
Sean Lowe
Learn more about Sean’s new autobiography here, For The Right Reasons, America’s Favorite Bachelor on Faith, Love, Marriage and Why Nice Guys Finish First
** Post includes affiliate links. See full disclosure policy here.
Thanks for sharing this. I really liked Sean on the Bachelor because of what he stood for. I read this article to my teenage daughter to encourage her about he kind of husband she should look for someday.
These are lessons you learn in pre-marital counseling or from mom or dad right after your first fight. But they are still important. The real test comes when you have to apply those lessons everyday. I think that’s the biggest take-away here. God bless their marriage.
Even though I don’t watch the show anymore, I am so glad to see that Sean wrote this book. So many secular couples believe that when the romance begins to die, they divorce and move on to the next marriage/partner.
Hopefully he is a role model to this bachelor audience and will be able to share some Godly principles about “dying to self” and what that should look like. Thanks for posting this Rachel!