"What if God didn't design marriage to be easier? What if God had an end in mind that went beyond our happiness, our comfort, and our desire to be infatuated and happy as if the world were a perfect place? What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than happy?... Your marriage is more than a sacred covenant with another person, it is a spiritual discipline designed to help you know God better, trust Him more fully, and love him more deeply".
- Gary Thomas
After I read that statement...a light bulb went off in my brain. As I think about all the ways God has grown me in the almost 12 years of my own marriage...I can't help but think that the statement above bears a lot of truth!
My holy growth isn't dependant on how other people treat me, but how I respond to them. It's easy to say hurtful things when we are mad or hurt, but it takes a lot of control to hold our own tongues. Since our tongues are sharper then any two edged sword, they can cause a lot of damage in any relationship -not just marriage.
So what do you do when there is conflict in your marriage?
Control your response.
We have to realize that because God created the covenant of marriage, he cares more about our marriages then we ever could. He cares about how we respond to one another. The way we respond has consequences, positive AND negative. And He WILL help us control our words, thoughts and emotions to His glory.
What comes out of the mouth is a window to what's in our hearts. If we can get this area of our lives under control - we are growing in holiness.
2 comments:
Dearest woman after God's own heart, you are truly blessed. When you have some time read the posts at http://thegoodtale.blogspot.com
Really good Amy...thanks for the post and something to think about.
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