Marriages being taunted by the enemy...
In that past month I can count 5 couples that are struggling with divorce or marital problems and OH! how this burns me up! I literally feel my blood boiling.
And so comes the most recent attack- A friend asked how she could help another friend... First, I am honored that she would even consider asking me! Because I AM NOT the one people come to for marriage advice. But I do have ample life experience on what not to do! And thru that experience, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my man! But that is ALL because we have Jesus! Plain and simple! And so my response was this.... I am sure I said too much or not enough...But my prayer is that God will heal this couple and reconcile. But if I know anything...God is in the healing and reconciliation ministry. He can take a mess and make a message. Take the bad that the enemy left for rent, and turn that into something fabulous for HIS GLORY!! In your face Satan! Jerk.
First thing- Are they
Christians?
Without Christ at the
center of any marriage, it will be a battle for any husband /wife to reconcile
any differences-
The reason being is that
when you are focused yourself and not Christ and his principles/standards/will
then you are being selfish, seeking your own desires, battling your own sin
nature. When you have Christ in your heart then you are allowing him to change
you daily. You are focusing on allowing him to give you those fruits of the
spirit (Galatians 5:22-26)…Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness,
Faithfulness, and Self-Control. Otherwise. We just have rotten fruit. We
are stingy. Mad, hateful, lustful, greedy, rude, etc… it says in Matthew
we are known by our fruit (Matthew 7:16)…
I have tons of scripture I
personally love and use on growth and encouragement for myself in my own daily
walk! Romans 8, 2 timothy 1:6; 2 Tim. 2:11-13; Roman 3:23-24; 5:2-8; 10:9-11
Also, as a believer you
have to put on the armor daily! Like its your job! Ephesians 6:10-20
Its not that he is being
chief and commander of his wife and she is being the door mat! I have a great
study on this. I will look it up and send to you. I really had to understand
what reverence to God was before I could truly honor, respect and submit to
JJ;s authority. But when you are serving God together this whole concept works
and it is so amazing to watch and feel God in your marriage.
Years ago when you and
L^&* first knew JJ and I, we had no clue what marriage was all about, or even
how to give a Godly example of that....I pray that we can somehow convey to
other couples our passion for each other and Christ. And what He truly intends
for a marriage to be as we continue to learn.
Instructions for Christian Households
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to
the Lord. 23 For
the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his
body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now
as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands
in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church
and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the
washing with water through the word, 27 and
to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any
other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In
this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who
loves his wife loves himself. 29 After
all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body,
just as Christ does the church— 30 for
we are members of his body. 31 “For
this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,
and the two will become one flesh.”[c] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about
Christ and the church. 33 However, each
one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must
respect her husband.
Next, as a female, it is
my own personal desire to become a Proverbs 31 Woman. I try to study and live
by this! I want to be the very best wife and mother God intends for me to be.
Encourage your friend to read and study.
Epilogue:
The Wife of Noble Character
10 [b]A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
Next is to remember we have to be on the
marriage team…God created us with a need for compansionship.Genesis 2:18-22…Part
of companionship is establishing trust & being able to rely on another…We
cant bash each other to friends. God doesn’t bash us or vice versa…So why would
we bash the one we made vows before God to? God pursues us, so we have to
pursue our spouse. Our spouse is a gift!
So obviously there needs to be some
reconciliation in the marriage…2 Cor. 5:17-20
2 Corinthians 5:17-19New International Version (NIV)
17 Therefore, if anyone is
in Christ, the new creation has come:[a]
The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who
reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation: 19 that God was
reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against
them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
We have to forgive just as Christ has forgiven us!! Reconciliation redeems
relationships! Restores harmony! We have to extend grace and mercy to our
spouse just as Christ extended those same GIFTS to us as sinners. We have to be
humble. Because ultimately we are not the judge. And we did not deserve the
same forgiveness, grace or mercy Christ gave us for our own sin.
Last!! (well not really, but for now) is tell your friends to find time for
one another each day to look at each other daily and talk. Communication is
very important. Go the extra mile to show your spouse that you love him/her!
No comments:
Post a Comment