Thursday - "Go Team!"

As a Pastor, I get asked all the time "What makes a marriage stronger?" I honestly think it boils down to a few simple things...we've discussed a couple of them already this week:

1) Keep Christ the center of your marriage
2) Trust each other
3) Communicate with each other in a positive way
4) Enjoy each other

It is this fourth component that we are going to pray about this morning. What does it mean to "enjoy" your relationship? Let's look at today's verse:

Proverbs 17:22 (NLT2) "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength."

What does it mean to have a cheerful heart and not a "broken spirit?" Simple, a cheerful heart has the right attitude and perspective of how Christ wants their marriage to be. They realize that they are part of a team...each member giving 100% to the relationship. I have heard is said many times that marriage is 50/50. I disagree. That implies that each person only gives half of what they are able to give. No, cheerful hearts give unselfishly... Cheerful hearts serve unselfishly... Cheerful hearts love unselfishly.

If you are married, you are part of a team...a whole...in the eyes of God, you are one. I understand that in many marriages, only one spouse is willing to live with a "cheerful heart" while the other seems to be a taker. However, Christ has called us to be individually accountable for our behaviour. We have to make the choice to be dedicated to our husband/wife...how they behave is their issue with God, not yours. You can't force your spouse into a cheerful heart...

Do you want to enjoy your relationship? Keep praying, listening, and serving God... give, serve, and love your spouse without bitterness... and watch your marriage blossom into exactly what God intended it to be. Go team!

Pastor Brian

Wednesday - "Drifting Off Course"

Proverbs 15:28 (NLT2) The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.

The cub scout in my boat was terrified. We looked at each other with a genuine fear...not knowing exactly where the canoe we were in was headed. It was my job to paddle this young man across the lake in a symbolic "crossing over" ceremony in the Boy Scouts. He was moving from Cub Scout to Boy Scout...and this canoe journey was symbolic of his new rank. We had started out ok...but my inexperience and lack of control of the boat had led us out to the middle of nowhere... I knew how to paddle...but it seemed that a combination of the wind and my inability to steer in a straight line had led us to this point. Little by little our tiny canoe had drifted off course....

I was thinking about today's verse in the context of our relationships...more specifically...our marriages. Many couples don't realize that the arguments that they have currently are the result of small snipes...quips...or sarcastic remarks along the way. These tiny yet hurtful jabs each day, while not powerful enough to invoke an argument at the time, add up. Before you know it, your marriage is in a canoe in the middle of nowhere...desperately trying to figure out where it all went wrong.

The Bible talks about our tongue being a rudder that steers our ship. Our words mean so much. They can be inspiring and caring marriage builders...or decay that eats away at the integrity and trust that are critical to a healthy marital relationship. Each time we get the change to communicate with our spouse, the words used should be carefully considered...not juts flippant remarks based on our mood or disposition. Words can be so positive and encouraging...or so hurful...we get to choose. Remember, you may not get to control every aspect of your marriage, but you do get to choose how you verbally react to those aspects.

Today, talk to God and ask Him to reveal to you any deficiencies in this area. Positive communication with your spouse is crucial to building a stronger connection...and, more importantly, a marriage that honors Christ.

Pastor Brian

PS: The little Cub Scout and I made it to the other side. Working together, we navigated our way back to shore... (that teamwork concept is what we are discussing tomorrow)