Curating a Life in Christ
Bring me to see that what I have is there to be shared.
Bring me to see that what I have is not the last word in life.
Bring me to see that ultimately my security, my peace of mind depends not on my talents, not on my achievements, not on the status that goes with these but on knowing that all I have gains meaning from you.
To know this, Lord, is to know both poverty and riches.
Amen.
Talk with your spouse about adopting the boundaries or rules for arguments in the future. Even if they are not ready for this, honor your own rules the next time you enter an argument.
Make every effort to fight right. Remember that the answer you are looking for is neither yours or theirs but ours. What would be best for our marriage? The best answer may not suit either of you.
Up to this point, you have been working on how you think about and treat your spouse. By now you should see some benefit is more positive feelings and the reward of a clear conscience. Now we need to deal with the conflicts between the two of you. Simply put, you must ‘fight right’.
How you fight and what you say to each other will be remembered long after the reason for your argument is forgotten. Treating each other with respect especially in conflict is essential to a loving relationship.
So we create boundaries. Principles or rules that we will use in our disagreements. The first ‘we’ rules deal with how we argue.
There are some ‘me’ rules that you keep even if your partner fails to do so.
Mark 3:25 (NLT)
25 Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart.
James 1:19 (NLT)
19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
Matthew 7:3 (NLT)
3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?
Proverbs 15:1 (NLT)
1 A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.
Mark 6:2-4 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?" they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. 4 Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor." (NIV)
Is your past preventing you from being a fully devoted Christ follower? Are you a Christian without honor? Isn’t easier to be "Christ-Like" around people who do not know your past? Lets look at the above passage.
Jesus is in his hometown teaching in the synagogue. The townspeople that he grew up with were listening and were amazed. Look at the bitter words they lash out "Isn’t the mere carpenter, the one who works with his hands, isn’t this the illegitimate son of Mary?, Isn’t this the guy with the very ordinary brothers and sisters?" Do people do this to you today? Do you let them?
The evil one wants us to live in our past. He wants to remind us of all the excess baggage we are carrying around. God on the other hand wants us to repent and ask forgiveness for our past, and then God forgets and looks forward. God wants us to place our excess baggage at the foot of the cross and leave it there. Never to go back and claim the sins of our past. Leave them at the cross.
Jesus never returned to his hometown after this encounter. Jesus traveled throughout the land teaching and performing miracles. He never looked back. You do the same. Don’t keep looking back at your past sins, keep looking toward the Cross. The cross of forgiveness, the cross of redemption and salvation.
Dear Father, Forgive me for the past sins in my life. Father, I place my sins at the foot of the cross. Father help me to look forward, to share in the hope of Jesus Christ. Father, help me to overcome the bait of Satan, the bait that tells me I am not worthy to be yours. Thank you so much for not only forgiving my sins, but for forgetting them as well. Most of all, thank you for your Son Jesus, who died for me, who gives me new life. I pray in His name. Amen.
We all can be stubborn at times. There are areas of disagreement in our marriages where we want our way. These can be as simple as a restaurant choice or what we are going to watch on television. A sign of love is the ability to yield when it can demonstrate affection and attention.
Choose one of those disagreements between you and your spouse and willingly let them have their way. In fact, offer to do it their way before the argument starts. Tell them you are putting their preference first.
Philippians 2:4 (MSG)
4 Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.
Philippians 2:5 (NLT)
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
James 3:17 (MSG)
17 Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced.
We don’t talk about it often but we need to remember those who are victims of crime. Theirs is a personal violation. We should also pray for the criminal. Here are some scriptures to lift in prayer.
Romans 13:1-5 (NLT)
1 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.
2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.
3 For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you.
4 The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.
5 So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.
Luke 10:32-37 (NLT)
32 A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.
33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him.
34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him.
35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’
36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”
Luke 23:39-43 (NLT)
39 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”
40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die?
41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Ephesians 4:28 (NLT)
28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.
Imagine you have a damaged car and a damaged hand. Damage is sever to both. Will you treat both the same? Will you get rid of your hand as easily as you would your car? Certainly not because our hand is attached to us. It is part of us. The same is true of our spouse. We need to elevate the level of importance they have to our lives. They are not exchangeable.
Do something today that will reflect how important they are to your life. This is more than just another errand or gift. Think of how much they mean to you and be creative is expressing that dependence. Here is a great time for a lovely card or personal note.
Ephesians 5:31 — For this cause will a man go away from his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.
Ephesians 5:33 — But do you, everyone, have love for his wife, even as for himself; and let the wife see that she has respect for her husband.
Genesis 2:21-24 — And the Lord God sent a deep sleep on the man, and took one of the bones from his side while he was sleeping, joining up the flesh again in its place: 22 And the bone which the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman, and took her to the man. 23 And the man said, This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh: let her name be Woman because she was taken out of Man. 24 For this cause will a man go away from his father and his mother and be joined to his wife; and they will be one flesh.
Matthew 19:5 — For this cause will a man go away from his father and mother, and be joined to his wife; and the two will become one flesh?
The love dare series will be shared on the weekdays to help everyone keep on schedule. Simply rehearse the weekly activities over the weekend.