God's presence and Spirit in our marriage help us to overcome the
everyday idiosyncrasies, irritations and hurt feelings that often cause a
relationship to unravel.
The best way to insure longevity in our marriage is if both partners
walk in the Spirit on a daily basis (Galatians 5:15-25). God's Spirit gives us
the desire and the power to keep on loving each other.
We overlook one another's faults and allow each other the grace to be
our self - the good, the bad and the ugly. We do not attempt to make each other
over, but we do change our own behavior, perspective and focus to better meld
with our mate.
Actively sharing together in a ministry for the Lord gives us a bond
that is not easily broken by petty issues and Satan's lies. We have more
spiritual strength that negates any adverse issues that may arise.
We have more faith, positive feelings toward one another that overlook
petty issues, and a stronger sense of partnership than couples who do not share
faith and service to the Lord.
If our mate's behavior affects our well-being, however, we can discuss
these issues at a time when there are no demands or distractions, and when
emotions are not at an all-time high.
We may not forget the negative
incident between us and our mate, but each time it comes to our mind, or if
similar behavior occurs, we can change our focus to something that we admire
about our mate, or to something that we appreciate about him/her.
Prayer:
Father God, remind us to bathe
our discussions in prayer and to allow Your Spirit to give us the words to
share that will not inflict pain on our mate, but will clearly communicate that
their behavior was hurtful to us. Our mate may argue our viewpoint or fail to
validate our feelings or dismiss our feelings as petty; but this is when we
access Your forgiveness toward them, which proves to be our best recourse.
We know that ultimately You are
our one true spouse. Remind us that You brought us together with our mate in
order to balance out each other's failings and shortcomings in order to bring
more success to each of our lives. This way we will have more resources to use
for Your Kingdom, and we can glorify You in all that we think, say and do.
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Thought
for the Day:
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A three-fold cord cannot be
broken; so when we unite with our mate and we both rely only on the Lord for
our strength, wisdom and flexibility, God gives us more spiritual maturity to
face life's setbacks with grace and love for one another.
- Ecclesiastes 4:12
