A good business owner regards his employee with respect and consideration, and because of that, his employee's treat him back with respect, and sometimes do more then is expected of them. This makes for a good business. In the same way, when we regard our spouse with consideration and respect, we get more from them, sometimes even more than we expected! Isn't that great?

A well-run business is like a well-run marriage; they both involve the players letting down their pride. Pride is the major cause of marital problems and divorce. Pride is a strong emotion that prevents couples from coming out of their selfishness and submitting to one another, even though couples are capable of giving so much more of themselves to each other.

Pride is the major cause of business failure because prides prevents the business owner from coming out of his arrogance and submit to his employee's properly. Both marriage and business involve team players if they are to succeed.

Pride is a cumulative mix of feelings that come out in the way we behave and act with others, and is not always noticeable to the casual observer. A business owner who is proud and arrogant typically will have unhappy employees, and usually will have a pretty fast employee turn around rate. Basically, he doesn't make a very good boss, and no one wants to work for him.

In the same way selfish and arrogant people don't make very good marriage partners. No one wants to stay married to him or her.

Let's look at a couple of ways in which pride might stand in the way of a marriage and business from being successful.

1. Both husband and wife must be willing to work at the marriage

Pride prevents couples from working at the marriage because they don't want to cooperate with one another. Marriage is like a business. In business if there is no cooperation, or willingness to make the business better, the business is going to go out of business!

Basically, pride stands in the way of the players in marriage from negotiating and compromising with each other. Both marriage and business rely on the common ground of negotiation for them to be successful.

2. Both husband and wife must be willing to work at themselves instead of each partner trying to change each other.

Pride prevents couples from seeing their own faults. All they see is the fault of their spouse, and since pride begets selfishness, couples remain self-seeking, inconsiderate, and disrespectful with one another. This is why divorce sounds better and better all the time.

In the same way what do you think is going to happen if an employer treats his employee's with disrespect and contempt? They're going to quit, aren't they? They're going to separate themselves from their mean employer and get a brand new employer, hopefully one that will treat them with respect.

Couples quit on each other all the time, that's what divorce is.

3. Both husband and wife need to bring God into the marriage, and attain a more spiritual awareness from within themselves to work on and bring into the marriage.

If couples are not getting spiritual counsel and wisdom from the architect of marriage where and who are they getting it from? Why do couples rely on the trust and counsel of strangers to their marriage instead of the source of who designed marriage from the beginning?

Pride stands in the way of wanting to trust in God for marriage, therefore couples continue to operate in the selfish mode of thinking. The first solution to marital problems coming from a prideful mind is divorce, which comes from the foundation of the world, but look where that has gotten them.

The lack of commitment from couples these days is absolutely incredible. Where there is no commitment there can be no marriage. Husband and wife are to regard one another with care and consideration because honestly folks, that is what marriage takes to make it work. There is absolutely no room for pride, arrogance, and contempt in marriage.

It is the same way for the business owner. What would happen if he had no commitment to his business? He isn't going to care too much about it, is he? A business owner who doesn't regard his business with the care and respect it deserves, isn't going to be in business for long.

So the bottom line is giving up our pride and submit to one another properly and appropriately whether we are working on building up our business or whether we are working on building up our marriage. Both marriage and business take team players to make them successful.

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If any one wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." Mark 9:35

Angie Lewis is the author of two marriage books. "Journey on the Roads Less Traveled", a book about love, life, addiction, and marriage.

"Love The Man Your Married. This book tackles areas in marriage that couples need to know and understand and apply for a successful marriage. This book is a most reliable resource for married couples, from infidelity issues to complete forgiveness.

For more information on these books visit Angie's website and signup for the free monthly newsletter while you're there! http://www.heavenministries.com

Check out Angie's new "Help For Marriage" Forums where you can get the marital support you need. http://helpformarriages.com/forum/