18 Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."
There is great power when our hearts are united. Agreement doesn't mean having the identical point of view, because we know that God can work through our variety of perspectives. Agreement means to come to a point where we agree on a common direction - a unity that can be built by the Holy Spirit, who will also show us the steps in which to walk. When our hearts come together, when believers share that common purpose, incredible things can be done through God's people.
+++++
In Ecclesiastes 4, we see a passage that can apply to our marriages, as we think about the strength that we can have as we develop as a team, along with God.
9 Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor.
10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.
11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Box 18 is probably going back to the storage room soon, but it was a fun journey, and one that I would highly recommend for married couples - to go back and check out some of your wedding memorabilia from time to time, maybe as a way of celebrating your anniversary. Beth and I also celebrated our 25th anniversary by pulling out our wedding video (that's right, on VHS) last night and watching the majority of it.
Looking back at milestones in our lives can help reinforce some of those glorious moments on life's journey, especially when you consider some of those spiritual moments. And, we devoted our marriage ceremony to be a time of worship and celebration. One of the ministers performing our ceremony encouraged those in attendance, as we spoke words of affirmation to one another, to take some time to affirm their spouse along with us.
Now, as we move into the next 25 years and beyond, I wanted to share some random thoughts about some principles that I think that Beth and I have learned and experienced over the previous quarter-century. I did not say "mastered," but I think maybe some of these will resonate with you. So, let's go with what we could call, "Truths For a Lasting Marriage."
You have to make sure that your are dedicated to make a marriage last. I think that one of the reasons that we have such a high divorce rate in our society today is that many do not go into marriage with the intent of it lasting. We have to make sure we take the necessary steps to make sure our lives together are strong, especially as life circumstances change.
I also think that you have to be intentional in communication. As I mentioned yesterday, on a normal weekday, we try to take time for a checkup, to go back through our respective days, to share and to listen to one another when I come home from work. This is a special time, and it's clear to the children that this is set aside for the two of us.
And, we have to be intentional in communication - with God. We can be challenged to pray for one another and to pray with each other. That's the intent each night - to hold hands and spend time in prayer. I believe the image of two people joined together with the hand of God in our midst can be powerful for us.
Also, recognize in our marriages that we are called to serve one another. The life that is surrendered to God includes the element of servanthood. Christ loved the church, His bride, and gave His life for it. So, we as husbands, are called to lay down our lives for our wives. And, wives are called to possess that humble attitude, as well.
And, with that attitude of humility, that means that there is an atmosphere for compromise. In the good sense. We're not called to get our way all the time - we are called to follow in God's ways.
I think it's important that we recognize that God has called us together as a team. As we rely on Him, we can build a sense of teamwork - we are walking side-by-side, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, walking in love with each other, and we can know and experience that pursuit of common goals and interests.
When we do disagree, it's imperative that we seek an amicable solution. Each of us may not get what he or she wants all the time, but we have to make sure that we ultimately come to an agreement about the right decision.
That leads to a thought that if there is not agreement, you don't change anything. When we were in a young married Sunday School class, that was one of those principles that we were taught. I think couples can get out of sync when one or both of the parties in a marriage are out there making decisions, sometimes major ones, without consulting with their spouse.
Now, in a marriage, there will likely come times when you offend your mate. Do you apologize or seek forgiveness in order to make things right? When you say or do the wrong thing and you can see that you have not pleased your mate, it's important to be sensitive to that and take the necessary steps to clear the air.
One of the principles that I advocate is keeping short accounts. It can be dangerous to the stability of a marriage when you keep a long list of offenses and become bitter or resentful toward that precious gift of God that He has given to you. So, we must guard against allowing those areas of disagreement to drive a wedge between us.
And, we also recognize the spiritual elements that can be detrimental to a marriage. Satan is devoted to dividing and bringing discord. We have to recognize when our homes are under attack and take the necessary steps to see God's victory released in our homes. As you will see in the forthcoming movie from the Kendrick Brothers, War Room, the wife in the movie, played by Priscilla Shirer, is told that her husband is not her enemy, and it makes a big difference in her life and how she approaches the problems in her marriage.
That gets us right back to the power of prayer. Marriages are under intense pressure these days, and we need the power of God to be released in our homes as we seek to grow in our love for one another. As we make Jesus the Lord of our marriages, the way we raise our children, and the issues that confront our homes, we will become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit and turn to Him, realizing that we need His power and love.
So on this day after our 25th anniversary, be encouraged with us. As you'll may have heard from Dennis Rainey or FamilyLife Today, your mate, your spouse, is a gift of God. If we adopt that attitude, it will make a tremendous difference in the way that you relate to that special person in your life.
9 Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor.
10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.
11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Box 18 is probably going back to the storage room soon, but it was a fun journey, and one that I would highly recommend for married couples - to go back and check out some of your wedding memorabilia from time to time, maybe as a way of celebrating your anniversary. Beth and I also celebrated our 25th anniversary by pulling out our wedding video (that's right, on VHS) last night and watching the majority of it.
Looking back at milestones in our lives can help reinforce some of those glorious moments on life's journey, especially when you consider some of those spiritual moments. And, we devoted our marriage ceremony to be a time of worship and celebration. One of the ministers performing our ceremony encouraged those in attendance, as we spoke words of affirmation to one another, to take some time to affirm their spouse along with us.
Now, as we move into the next 25 years and beyond, I wanted to share some random thoughts about some principles that I think that Beth and I have learned and experienced over the previous quarter-century. I did not say "mastered," but I think maybe some of these will resonate with you. So, let's go with what we could call, "Truths For a Lasting Marriage."
You have to make sure that your are dedicated to make a marriage last. I think that one of the reasons that we have such a high divorce rate in our society today is that many do not go into marriage with the intent of it lasting. We have to make sure we take the necessary steps to make sure our lives together are strong, especially as life circumstances change.
I also think that you have to be intentional in communication. As I mentioned yesterday, on a normal weekday, we try to take time for a checkup, to go back through our respective days, to share and to listen to one another when I come home from work. This is a special time, and it's clear to the children that this is set aside for the two of us.
And, we have to be intentional in communication - with God. We can be challenged to pray for one another and to pray with each other. That's the intent each night - to hold hands and spend time in prayer. I believe the image of two people joined together with the hand of God in our midst can be powerful for us.
Also, recognize in our marriages that we are called to serve one another. The life that is surrendered to God includes the element of servanthood. Christ loved the church, His bride, and gave His life for it. So, we as husbands, are called to lay down our lives for our wives. And, wives are called to possess that humble attitude, as well.
And, with that attitude of humility, that means that there is an atmosphere for compromise. In the good sense. We're not called to get our way all the time - we are called to follow in God's ways.
I think it's important that we recognize that God has called us together as a team. As we rely on Him, we can build a sense of teamwork - we are walking side-by-side, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, walking in love with each other, and we can know and experience that pursuit of common goals and interests.
When we do disagree, it's imperative that we seek an amicable solution. Each of us may not get what he or she wants all the time, but we have to make sure that we ultimately come to an agreement about the right decision.
That leads to a thought that if there is not agreement, you don't change anything. When we were in a young married Sunday School class, that was one of those principles that we were taught. I think couples can get out of sync when one or both of the parties in a marriage are out there making decisions, sometimes major ones, without consulting with their spouse.
Now, in a marriage, there will likely come times when you offend your mate. Do you apologize or seek forgiveness in order to make things right? When you say or do the wrong thing and you can see that you have not pleased your mate, it's important to be sensitive to that and take the necessary steps to clear the air.
One of the principles that I advocate is keeping short accounts. It can be dangerous to the stability of a marriage when you keep a long list of offenses and become bitter or resentful toward that precious gift of God that He has given to you. So, we must guard against allowing those areas of disagreement to drive a wedge between us.
And, we also recognize the spiritual elements that can be detrimental to a marriage. Satan is devoted to dividing and bringing discord. We have to recognize when our homes are under attack and take the necessary steps to see God's victory released in our homes. As you will see in the forthcoming movie from the Kendrick Brothers, War Room, the wife in the movie, played by Priscilla Shirer, is told that her husband is not her enemy, and it makes a big difference in her life and how she approaches the problems in her marriage.
That gets us right back to the power of prayer. Marriages are under intense pressure these days, and we need the power of God to be released in our homes as we seek to grow in our love for one another. As we make Jesus the Lord of our marriages, the way we raise our children, and the issues that confront our homes, we will become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit and turn to Him, realizing that we need His power and love.
So on this day after our 25th anniversary, be encouraged with us. As you'll may have heard from Dennis Rainey or FamilyLife Today, your mate, your spouse, is a gift of God. If we adopt that attitude, it will make a tremendous difference in the way that you relate to that special person in your life.
No comments:
Post a Comment