Marriage Workshop Part 2

Marriage Workshop Part 2

Our cultures definition of what it takes for a marriage to last a life time is different than what God would define it. Marriage today in our world is more of a legal contract that is seeing as a financial benefit than as a matter of love. God said, "it is not good for man to be alone." God created a helper but it has a different meaning that just someone who helps. The same word is used to describe Jesus.

It was not Adam who felt alone and asked God for a helper. It was God who saw man's need and ordained that it was not good for man to be alone! It takes God to make a marriage meaningful and useful. On of the greatest failures in marriage is seeking advice from the world instead of seeking spiritual Godly advice.

God said, "I hate divorce!" Divorce should not be an option except for extreme circumstances involving infidelity. The world views divorce as a legal way to end the marriage commitment. God never intended it to be this way.

1 Peter 3:1-7 Wives are called to not give into fear and the husbands are called to be considerate to their wives. Our spiritual lives can be hindered if we are not treating our spouses the way God intended us too. Couples don't fall out of love so easily, they fall out of repentance instead! Sin will always separate you from your spouse. No relationship brings out our own faults like the relationship with our spouses and we need to embrace repentance so we can grow in our characters.

God uses the troubles and issues in our marriage with our spouses to refine and purify our hearts and characters. When we are completely humble and gentle with each other there is room for growth. We become more intimate and vulnerable with each other. We are able to be who we really are.

Your marriage needs accountability and discipleship. We need to be open with other people where we are at in our marriages. Open about our struggles...etc. "The heart is deceitful above all things" and we are not able to objectively see our own situations and short comings. We need other people in our lives. God can use godly people around us to speak to us and challenge us to be more like God.

Marriage is a divine reality that takes work! it is not easy! It takes a lot of grace and mercy given and received! Communication is key. We need to be open about our feelings and open to hear the areas we need to change in. We need to grow as listeners to be able to understand what our spouses need.

Communication is a big part of intimacy. It really matters how we speak to each other. We need to be quick to listen and slow to speak in all situations. Listening is more important than speaking! Communication can help you stop issues before they become bigger problems.

Divorce should not be a discussion. It should be viewed as a four letter word and not a back door. You should never use the word divorce period!