My parents could be like the picture above – silent treatment, stuck in generational sins lacking Godly problem-solving skills and healthy forgiving hearts. Growing up in their home, I naturally picked up this behavior and carried into my marriage…
I was making our marriage more like the picture above until Jesus stepped in and began to heal me of so many of “my ways.” I discovered that leaving and cleaving to Ann was the best thing God ever did for me and our marriage (Genesis 2:24). It put me on a road to recovery as I learned Gods ways.
When we learn how to be married in Jesus, we can know that we married the right person.
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
John 15:12-13
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others (My wife’s needs).
Philippians 2:4
Love you neighbor as yourself (my wife’s my nearest neighbor).
Luke 10:27b
So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding (we edify each other instead of tearing each other down).
Romans 14:19
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
Thessalonians 5:11
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Colossians 3:16
But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Hebrews 3:13
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow.
Ecclesiastes 4:9
and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” (This includes husbands and wives as they learn to love, protect and cover each other in Jesus.)
Mark 10:8-9
I want to encourage each couple to build each other up in the faith, to help each other renew our minds to the truth that makes us free indeed (John 8:36). My wife and I spend a lot of our time helping each other to grow in our faith. We talk about Jesus and the Bible a lot of the time. It’s our passion to be more like Jesus and to glean all the liberty we can from Him and His Word. And, it’s also our passion to help others realize and live in all the freedom Christ died to make available to anyone who has ears to hear, to anyone who will open their heart to Jesus and all He has for each of us.
For instance, if the enemy is challenging our faith in any area of our lives, we (my wife and I) begin to tell each other scriptures, or teachings that have helped us to overcome those specific, enemy lies and attacks. I tell Ann what a great wife she is and remind her that God has always been faithful to her, and how much He and I love her.
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17
One of the most important things we do is to never put the other person down. We make a practice to go to bed without being angry with each other – Ann’s father gave me that piece of advise right before our wedding and it’s been a real key to our strong marriage bond. We kiss and hug often. Also, if I know something I do bothers Ann, I ask God to help me overcome my behavior and ask Ann to forgive me. Finally, if we think something will help each other around the home, we go and do it as a sign of our love and devotion to each other.
Marriages made in Heaven involve acts of love on our part as we learn how to be the best and most loving marriage partners we can be.
As I’ve mentioned in the past, the more I love Ann by my actions, the more love I have for her. The rewards God gives us for loving each other are so gratifying and wonderful. And He keeps growing our love and the ease with which we love each other more and more each day.
Like the picture above, today, we’re pretty much inseparable and we love it! God has done so much for us…
We’ve truly found that Jesus loves to keep marriage alive, expanding and thriving…
God bless,
Mark