Pride ruins so many relationships
(Ephesians 4:2). We think that we are competing with one another, having to
prove that we are right and our mate is wrong, making more money and advancing
up the corporate ladder quicker than the other.
These are lies from Satan and
must be rejected at all costs. Our mate is not the enemy, the devil is. We fell
in love because we liked one another and were attracted to each other; this love
does not die, it simply turns to hatred, apathy or disappointment.
We may find someone else we are
more attracted to, or we may decide we prefer to live alone, so we divorce our
mate. The problem is that we are never as happy with anyone else than we could
be with the mate of our youth (Proverbs 5:18), and the father or mother of our
children.
Divorce rips apart the fabric of
our family and each person, especially the children, are victims of this
terrible malady. We lose our financial, mental, emotional and physical
stability.
Of course, there are extenuating
circumstances if our mate is unsafe. In these cases, it is best to consult a
counselor or to go to a safe house - at least until we both agree to get help
with our issues.
Our irritating differences or
idiosyncrasies are not really grounds for divorce, however. We can find an
alternative behavior if we agree to pray together and to hear the leading of
God's Spirit in each area of our disagreement.
A change in our perspective, life
goals, pet peeves and focus may be just what the doctor ordered for our
relationship. We each have them, and they are usually very different.
Our family histories form our
current views on child-rearing practices, values, religious and political
views, hobbies, preferences, expectations and traditions.
They may be very diverse; but
they do not need to cause strife, especially if we agree to disagree, or to
brainstorm to find new choices that meet the needs we have as a couple.
Prayer:
Father God, please constantly
remind us what drew up together. Show us that the core values are what we share.
Help us to see that the family that we have created together means more than
the petty issues causing a thorn in our relationship. Help us to see that our
love for one another should be rooted in Your Agape love for us, rather than in
fleeting carnal aspects of human love.
Your amazing love is a solid
foundation on which we can build a mansion of loving practices and feelings in
our marriage. Your love also helps us to persevere through disappointments and
hurt feelings that always occur between two people. Help us to listen to Your
Spirit each moment of our life together, so that our love for You and one
another will grow deeper with each passing day.
Thought for the Day:
We may need to stop doing
something or to start doing something that will help to stabilize our home life;
Agape love bears with one another and finds something positive that outweighs
the negative behavior that gets on our nerves.
