Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. – Corrie ten Boom
Sometimes in marriage and family we experience seasons that prompt us to start to wonder what our future will be like. Will we be healthy and still in love? Will the kids be okay? Our parents?
We attempt to control so many things that are simply unknown to us and it causes excessive worry & exhaustion.
But Proverbs 16:3 says to commit to the Lord in whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.
When we trust God with our future & lean on His understanding, we can rest assured that He sees what’s on the other side of what we can’t yet see or comprehend.
God designed marriage & the family. He has a perfect plan. Release it all to Him and watch patiently as He reveals His perfect plan for your marriage & family. Hw holds your future and He is a good, good Father.
Whether you are newly married or have been married for years, at some point in your relationship you will face two things- brokenness and the need for forgiveness.
We have all experienced personal brokenness in our lives prior to getting married. We will also experience brokenness within our marriage. Why? Because we often carry the burdens of our past hurts and mistakes with us and bring them into our marriage. Our pain and discomfort bring us to a place of familiarity and, oddly, this familiarity gets disguised as comfort to us. Yet, we continue to mess up in our brokenness. We get hurt and we become hurtful. We react instead of responding. We want to be different, but we don’t always know how to be different. Our desire is to move beyond the things that cripple our godly thinking, but sometimes we just get stuck.
Our brokenness, whether from our past or current circumstances, can often trigger us to respond with our usual, unhealthy coping methods. For example, our instinctive response may be to blame our childhood trauma or our upbringing for our own current bad behavior toward our spouse. We claim, excuse, and justify it through a victim’s lens. We give our brokenness a permanent dwelling spot in our heart, closing our minds off to the possibility of authentic change and authentic forgiveness towards our spouse and ourselves. We choose to remain wounded and live with injustice stamped over our heart.
But there is a much better way…
2 Corinthians 10:5 says we are to destroy every proud obstacle that keeps us from knowing God. That we must capture every rebellious thought captive and submit those thoughts to obey Christ. Wow! What a powerful scripture to help us with our need for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing! And Proverbs 23:12 says to commit ourselves to instruction and to listen carefully to wisdom.
So, when we feel wounded by something our spouse has done to hurt us or we feel like we can’t be forgiven for something we have done to hurt our spouse, we must capture those thoughts and submit them to Christ and His character. His forgiveness towards us gives us the strength to extend forgiveness to our spouse and even to ourselves. His redemptive power is what allows us to pick up our feet and take the next step forward toward positive change.
Isaiah 43:18 says, “Do not remember the past events; pay no attention of things of old.” We must work through each trying circumstance that comes our way today and let the past stay in the past. Walk in His forgiveness and extend forgiveness consistently and continually to your spouse and to yourself. Acknowledge the areas in which you are weak and identify your triggers and submit them into His mighty healing hands.
When we go through hardships in marriage, we may be tempted to give up and quit. The last thing we may want to do is celebrate. Yet, scripture reminds us that we all go through seasons in our lives.
Ecclesiastes 3:4 says there “is a time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.”
Reflecting upon our two decades of marriage, we can see this truth weaved throughout our own marital hardships.
Plenty of times we have cried and grieved. And plenty of times we have laughed and danced from the triumph of overcoming those same hardships.
How is it that we can look back and celebrate our hardships? Because we see the goodness of God in each of them. Because through each hardship, we are strengthened, and God is glorified by the power of our testimony.
Through our hardships we have learned the freeing power of confession and forgiveness. We have learned the humbling power of submission to God and obedience. We have been a witness to God’s faithfulness to grow us to be more like Him. We have felt His sovereignty over our temporal circumstances.
If your marriage feels like it is in a pit of sinking sand, take time to reflect upon the goodness of God in your prior marriage struggles. Look for the ways in which the hardships grew you closer to Him and to your spouse. Celebrate them!
Write them in a journal or on post-it notes as a reminder. And encourage, support & celebrate the marriages of others. God’s goodness is also displayed when we celebrate others, despite our own circumstances.
Our marriages are a way we get to share the Gospel with others in the world. Let His glory be on display!
Do you sometimes feel like the communication between you and your spouse has become miscommunication and chaotic? Do either of you sometimes struggle to respond to each other in a healthy way? In this episode, we discuss how pride, defensiveness and having an unteachable spirit can stifle communication and how God can help us improve our marital communication.
Bible verses listed in order throughout the podcast (NIV):
Our marriages are designed to be as colorful as the vibrant changes of Fall. The colors that contrast each other come together into one beautiful picture. Just like how two different souls find a way to become one flesh. When that oneness happens, it is such a beautiful picture of love. So men, love your wives fiercely. Women, respect your husbands with the same fierceness. Allow the picture that nature paints to become a reality in your marriage. Take in the beauty and discover how colorfully beautiful your marriage can be.
Yes, those 3 words can be hard! While sleeping one night, God spoke to me and all He said was “Just Love Her.” (Eph 5:25 NLT- For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up His life for her.) That’s all I heard from Him. As I woke up in bed after this, I was confused and perplexed. What did “just love her” actually mean and why would God tell me this? Let’s see, I love my wife every day and do pretty much all I can to help her with whatever she needs, so why would God tell me this so clearly? As if He was speaking to little old me in neon lighting? You see, I like to think that my wife is my partner in everything and that what happens to her also happens to me. When she is down, hurt, suffering, lonely, weak, etc., I am the one who is there for her. It comes almost naturally to me. She depends on me to be there for her and I likewise, depend on her to be there for me. My wife lives with chronic pain from several spinal surgeries. Her bones and soft tissue are degrading faster than most people her age. I knew this would be something that would be in our reality earlier than most marriages and I promised both her and God that I was up for the task. As such, I believe this is why I was able to retire young and her, as well. Yet, I do find myself sometimes stuck in the monotony of it all, every so often. So, truthfully, I can say to myself that I am doing all that I can to help her, but am I really from my heart doing these things? Galatians 6:9 says “So let us not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” When God told me to “just love her”, I asked God again to help me understand what that meant. Sometimes, it takes more than a neon sign to make me understand! God then revealed to me that sometimes its not just about helping your spouse daily or making sure all is going well. Sometimes, you better expect a trial to happen and be ready to fight it! Honestly, as much as I dislike trials in our marriage, I also understand that this is when our marriage is strengthened the most. Even more, this is when I am personally strengthened the most!
Right around the time that God spoke these words to me, my wife started having a physical trial. Her right eye was injured and was not recovering. After 7 long months, we both finally surrendered that it may never be healed and maybe this would be her “thorn in the flesh” as an ambassador for Christ. My, how this revelation changed each of our perspectives. However, those 7 months of getting to this revelation were relentlessly hard, on each of us. For her, it was a battle with trusting God with her healing and understanding that God wasn’t mad at her. That she hadn’t let Him down in some way. For me, it was releasing control to God to care for my wife, whom I strive to fix everything for. It was a heavy dose of humility for me. See, God wants us both to rely on Him and He knows exactly how to get that across to each of us, individually. As far as I am concerned, God doesn’t waste our trials on just one of us; they are for both my wife and myself.
So, what does “just love her” mean? It means allowing my wife to say whatever she wants to me, and to listen with understanding and compassion. If I am considerate toward Janie, she will likewise be considerate toward me. It also means that no matter how frustrated I get with her physical ailments, I must love her as Christ loved the Church. Paul says it clear in Eph 5:25, that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. We must all knock down our barriers to love and pull up our sleeves, not to fight Christ, but to embrace LOVE for our spouse. So, husbands, just love your wives and wives just love your husbands. Let today be the day you let down your walls and you have an honest conversation with one another and choose together to pursue Christ in marriage.
God’s word says we are to love our wives, as our own bodies. What a high calling He gives us! Yet, if I’m honest, loving her seems to be the easy part. I can listen to her & hopefully fulfill her needs. Yet, when things get tough, I start to question myself. Don’t let the enemy fill you with thoughts of inadequacy. Listen to your wife! Janie reminds me daily that she sees God in me. Although, I may be reluctant to believe her at times, no one knows me like she does. And when I’m feeling less than, I’m thankful to have her to remind me that I am leading our family well. That they see Jesus in me. That God is the anchor in each of our lives. So, go live your life! Pursue Christ & see what happens. You will be sustained & fulfilled.
Today, I am thankful for my spouse loving me, through the good times and the bad times. I am most thankful that we both love the Lord. I am thankful for the trials and the blessings that have been bestowed upon us, because through each trial, our marital bond is strengthened.
Take time today to be still & thank the Lord for your marriage & your spouse!
As a husband, I often find myself stuck in stubbornness as a result of pride. When this happens, I have trouble hearing from God, others and unfortunately, from my spouse. Husbands, can you relate?
See, I know that I am called by God to be the leader of our family, spiritually and beyond. And often, I think I am doing a great job in this role, until something occurs that helps me see the speck in my own eye. Please understand, I am not one that is overly self-critical. I don’t necessarily lack in confidence when it comes to certain things. Nor am I the guy that beats himself up too much for the daily mistakes I make. Thankfully, I know that God’s grace is sufficient. Yet, if I am being honest, sometimes I can hide behind that grace and try to ride on its coattails, rather than do a deep introspection of my own behavior and responses. That is, until God decides that these need to be exposed.
For me, nothing can expose more to me the areas in which I may be lacking, than a complaint from my wife. If my wife is feeling inadequate or she’s lacking faith, I feel like I am the one that has failed. Yet, her complaints aren’t really complaints, but merely are expressions of what she desires for and from me.
The problem is that I perceive any constructive criticism I receive from her, others, and even God, as complaints. Essentially, what I hear is that I am not good enough. That I have failed in some way. That I am not living up to what is expected of me. Yet, when I take the time to eventually bring these things to the Lord, when I choose to let down my defenses, I actually hear His truth. His truth reveals to me that I am not perfect and that I am not without sin. That I have a constant need for my Savior. This folks, is not weakness or inability. This is me, an imperfect son of the Most High, in need of His correction, no matter who He uses to show me, just how much.
I am convinced that the enemy wants me to feel “less than” and like I am doing a horrible job. And he also wants me to make sure that everyone knows that I am NOT less than and I am NOT doing a horrible job! He tempts me to shout it from the rooftops! I am innocent! I am a GREAT father and husband! What the enemy wants is for me to be prideful of what I have already done. To be able to use the good moments from the past to make up for the present. What a deception! Unfortunately, I am often a willing participant in his ploys. I want to believe that I do not need to change or grow; that I am just fine the way that I am.
Proverbs 11:2 says that “pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” I never wish for my actions to lead to disgrace. I do crave wisdom from the Lord! Yet, my flesh and my upbringing often take over these desires. I can pick myself up with telling myself that I am not a bad guy. That I don’t do what other husbands do. I am doing a mighty fine job!
But if I am honest, nothing closes off conviction more than conceit.
Is it possible that God has placed my wife in my life to be the person He uses to help me along and keep me on task? Truly, I do believe He has placed her just in this place. I know He uses me to help her grow, so why wouldn’t He use her to help me grow? She always encourages me and reassures me that I am enough and that I do indeed lead our family well.
Janie and I talk a lot about sanctification. How God has used our marriage trials to set us apart, for His glory. Not everyone can air their dirty laundry and feel okay with it. But we know that we are called to do this, not to promote our growth, but to promote the growth that comes from the Lord!
We are still learning. I am still learning. It has become clear to me that humility is not a character weakness, but rather a place from which God can take the things that need strengthening into submission to Him. The antidote to defensiveness is accepting responsibility. Accepting that I am not perfect. Accepting that I will always be in need of a Savior, guiding me and growing me. And that my defensiveness should not me by response, but that, being teachable needs to be my desire.
Men, my challenge to you is that will seek the Lord in helping you grow. That you would hear your wife when she talks. Not as a complaint, but as opportunity to meet her needs and strengthen your own relationship with Christ, as well as your relationship with your spouse.
Can your spouse be your accountability partner? What does accountability outside of marriage look like? Please join us for a discussion about accountability and how it can strengthen your your relationship with your spouse and others.
Bible verses listed in order throughout the podcast:
Marriage Sanctified 