Barry and Lori Byrne on Marriage: 'You Must Be Transparent and Vulnerable'
Barry and Lori Byrne have been married for 30 years and have written about the success to their marriage, which they say is "spiritual, emotional, and physical oneness" based in God. The couple took the time to speak with The Christian Post about why they chose to share their story and what they hope readers will gain from reading "Love After Marriage."
How can one have a successful marriage? What is at the heart?
"A big part of what we teach, what the Lord taught us, was that you need to be in a place where you are transparent and vulnerable," Barry explained. "You can't expect to have a loving, passionate marriage when you are holding something back- you must be able to be free. We don't just do it through talking but spiritually, which is one of the biggest keys we find.
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"We help couples connect with the Lord and Holy Spirit and share that level of relationship together-talking about what is going on with us spiritually … When you have the spiritual component, then you can really detail what you need. We are just blown away by the wide variety of things that are plaguing marriages today- when that layer is removed, it's amazing to see what the Lord can do," added Lori.
One thing the Byrnes attempt to do is to offer tools for couples to use in tense situations. The reason, they told CP, is that they don't have all the answers, but instead put their faith in the Lord.
"I've spent years working as a marriage therapist," said Barry. "My confidence doesn't come in my education but in the Lord. I trust that God will provide what I need to help this particular person with what is happening … it's really learning to live a spiritual life where God is actively at work in our lives."
Why did you choose to share your story?
"God has told us to share our own successes and failures, everything that we've been through. It's common for things to come up during a workshop and God will use that to share with others. When we go and do it, we literally have to work through it. It's almost as if the Lord gives us something ahead of time for the people that we are going to be ministering to. The Lord won't give us victory or authority in anything that we haven't worked through. And we've had to work very hard to stay connected," Lori said.
"Whenever we are not connected, we work hard to regain that connection. God has really helped us in our marriage, but no one is exempt from arguments, Satan. Sin as a Spirit-there is a very real spiritual root to depression, anxiety, [and] anger that brings conflict and division. We teach people to deal with it as a Spirit when it comes against you, resisting it then, and doesn't do its job to divide you. If we deal with it well there, it won't come in between us," added Barry.
"Love After Marriage" is available online, and to learn more about Barry and Lori's ministry, please visit www.loveaftermarriage.org.
