A Good Marriage - Love Languages

Marriage is about the union of two people - two families of people. It brings them together in a legally binding relationship which God intends to last a lifetime.

Life happens, though; the death of a spouse, or of the marriage, sidetracks our best intentions. Our negative emotions influence whether or not we can forgive each other, or if we harbor anger and resentment.

It is best to investigate right away whenever we feel anger toward our spouse. We cannot allow hurt, anger or bitterness to accumulate in our heart and erect walls between us and those who love us.

These negative emotions prevent unconditional love, appreciation and respect from growing in our marriage. Emotional stress added to the stresses of daily living will encourage the desire in us to escape from our marriage.

Satan will certainly, gladly provide us with the opportunity to destroy what God has joined together. Do not be surprised when controversy, disagreements and arguments erupt in your marriage.

These do not indicate a problem in the relationship; but merely a normal adjustment between two very different people. God puts opposites together so that we can stretch, grow, and learn from one another.

God desires that we appreciate one another's individual strengths, and that we allow them to overcome the weaknesses in each other. No one spouse has all the answers.

It is only as we really listen to one another, consider each other's opinions, feelings and needs - and then compromise our desires that we can find equitable solutions to the issues that will most certainly arise.

Our goal in any argument is never to run each other down, wound with critical words, bring up the past in a hurtful manner or stoop to abusive verbal or physical behavior.

We simply hash out our disagreements in an honest and harmonious manner, striving to find common ground, giving in on matters that are not really important to us, and standing firm about the things which mean the most to us.

Prayer:

Father God, You gave each of us a unique personality, made from genetics, upbringing, personality and learned qualities. Remind us that we all need to receive love in different ways: words of affirmation, physical or emotional attention, acts of service, romantic gifts and gestures, or a conglomeration of these. This special language is all our own and allows us to feel loved and nurtured by our spouse.

Help us to understand that if we withhold these gifts of affection from one another, we are undermining our relationship and sabotaging our marriage - setting our self up for a cold and distant existence. Yet if we shower each other with love, we are ensuring that our marriage will go the distance and last a lifetime.

Thought for the Day:

Everyone has their own unique love language that fulfills them and allows them to feel understood, appreciated and cherished; make it a point to ask your mate what his/her love language is and then give him/her expressions of that love some time during  every single day.

Visit:

http://www.5lovelanguages.com

Eternal Springs of Life

Jesus Christ lived in meager circumstances on this earth, died a horrendous crucifixion for our sins, raised triumphantly over death and ascended into heaven with an immortal body.

With this same Christ abiding within us, Authentic Christians share in His suffering, fellowship in His presence, are led by His Spirit, experience His power and pass from death to eternal life instantly (Romans 8:9-10; John 14:16-17).

His living water within us never dries up (John 7:38-39). It waters the garden of our life as a never ending spring (Isaiah 58:11). This water quenches our thirst and provides us with eternal life (John 4:14).

God planned each step of our life before we were ever born. Nothing takes Him by surprise and He has a perfect plan for each one of us (Ephesians 2:10). Even on a dry and dusty road, off the beaten path, He provides us with a brook to nourish and revive us (Psalm 110:7).

This spring flows from the throne of God and the Lamb in heaven and forms a river with the tree of life on either side of it, bearing a different fruit every month and having leaves that heal the nations (Revelation 22:1-2). Every living creature and a multitude of fish dwell by and in the river of God (Ezekiel 47:9).

We joy in the God of our salvation and drink from the springs which our salvation provides for us (Isaiah 12:3; John 4:10). Our salvation in Christ gives us the right to enter the gates to the city of God, drink from the eternal river of life and to partake of the tree of life (Revelation 22:14).

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for providing us with the same Spirit which the disciples received on the day of Pentecost. He baptizes all believers into one Body, regardless of race, creed or social standing (Galatians 3:3; 1 Corinthians 12:13). We belong to You because of Your Spirit within us (Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30). You fill and seal us with the gift of Your Spirit, which You sent once Jesus rose into heaven (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Thank You that Your Spirit provides us with His fruit and gifts and transforms our carnal nature into Christ's divine nature from one stage of glory to the next (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). You provide riches for those who love You (1 Corinthians 2:9-10), and You shower us with every spiritual blessing from Your throne (Ephesians 1:3).

Thought for the Day:

God provides us with everything we need to walk each moment of the day under the direction and control of His Spirit, so that we effectually perform the works which He created us to do. - Ephesians 2:10; Galatians 5:25

A Balanced Christian Life

The Gospels of the Bible give us a play-by-play account of who Jesus was while He lived on the earth. The Epistles denote the power which Jesus now exercises from within His Body of authentic Believers.

We walk this earthly realm in the flesh, but through the dealings of God's Spirit within us, we crucify the flesh and the lusts thereof (2 Corinthians 10:3; Galatians 5:24). We no longer live in the flesh (Romans 8:5).

As we walk in the Spirit (Romans 8:9), the life of Christ is manifested through our physical existence (2 Corinthians 4:10-11). We live in the world, but we are not part of it (John 17:16).

Christ performs His work through us, which God prepared for us before the world ever began (Ephesians 2:10). Jesus moves into our spirit and we walk with His direction for each moment of the day (Galatians 5:16, 25).

We are controlled and guided by the Holy Spirit, who fills us (Ephesians 5:18). This is accomplished by the particular fruit and gifts of the Spirit, which He provides for each one of us individually (Ephesians 4:8-16; Romans 12:1; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, 27-31).

We submit our negative thoughts to the Lordship of Jesus Christ for healing. We even lay down our positive thoughts and adopt His thoughts as our own (Philippians 2:5).

We have the abiding love and peace of God resident within us (Romans 5:5; Ephesians 2:14). Desiring to live Godly lives, we have everything we need to achieve this through Christ Jesus within (2 Timothy 3:13; 2 Peter 1:3).

Prayer:

Father God, as we surrender our will to Your will, we soon realize that You fill us completely. You lead us to give the fruit of our labors to our local church and to missionaries doing Your work, rather than to spend our time, energy and resources on frivolous amusements and earthly treasures. The earthly is here today, but gone tomorrow; yet Your work lasts into eternity (1 Corinthians 1:9, 6:17; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 1:3-14, 4:32, 5:22-33; Galatians 5:22-23; Acts 15:28).

We want to do only Your will with our life. Following the leading of Your Holy Spirit moment by moment throughout the day results in physical productivity, a healthy mental and emotional life, spiritual advantages and material blessings which we cannot even begin to imagine until we walk in Your ways!

Thought for the Day:

When Christ is foremost in our thoughts and we pray about His order for our day, even cleaning the house, tending the children, working in the secular world, ministering at church, preparing meals and spending time with our family is the result of a spirit-filled life.