Week 3: Chapter 2 — Applying the Ten Laws of Boundaries to Marriage

1.The Law of Sowing and Reaping says that actions have consequences, but that this law is often interrupted in marriage when one spouse rescues the other from the consequences of their behavior. Can you think of an example — real or hypothetical — where a well-meaning spouse has actually enabled harmful behavior by absorbing its consequences?

2.The Law of Responsibility says we are responsible to others (in love and support) but not for others (their choices, feelings, or growth). Where do you tend to confuse these two? Do you more often take too much responsibility for your spouse's emotional state, or too little?

3.The Law of Power acknowledges that we cannot change another person — we can only change ourselves. How does accepting this limit actually increase your influence in a marriage rather than decrease it? Has there been a moment in your own life where you stopped trying to change someone and something shifted?