I’m not sure where to start this time. Ever since I have come to know Christ as my Lord and Savior, I have experienced so many highs and lows. From actually having experience’s with the Holy Spirit that I can barely begin to describe to someone. An encounter that I can best describe as being totally engulfed in the purest love imaginable. Agape love. To just the polar opposite. Church splits that rip your guts out. Losing friends that were hot after the things of God, then walking away. Pain of losing some awesome saints that were called home. Seeing marriages dissolve, Christian marriages. I find it real hard to wrap my head around that one. I know, it’s hard, but church folks are supposed to have it all together, right?
At least that’s what I used to think before I became one. It seems the longer I’m in the church, the more I realize just how dysfunctional we are. I mean grown men and women can really get to acting like real kids sometime, the only problem with that is when they do, it makes it really hard to tell somebody how awesome God is. How life changing knowing Jesus is.
I have heard every kind of insulting thing the world has to say about Christians, but the ones that get me the most have to do with the actions of my brothers and sisters. Immorality, lying, cheating stealing, always having to be first. Oh yeah, and my own pet peeve, V.I.P. seating and “gold” pass’s at Christian concerts. Are ya kidding me? That can really show the world what humble, great servant hearts we have, huh?
All that to say this. I have a friend, I saw him and his family really blossom in the Lord over the years. He used to drive until he got M.S. They pulled his card, and then he was able to get even closer to God. You’ll love this. You know what he would call his disease? His “blessing”. His wife was so on board with anything God would use these two for. His daughter even married a missionary. I even got to attend the wedding. Real awesome family serving a real awesome God. Then the news that hit like a large car to a raccoon. Divorce. Are you kidding me?! How can that be? I don’t know, but it is what it is.
Anyone can say anything, we all have an opinion. The enemy, selfish desires, bitterness from who knows what. All I know is this. It scared the hell outta me!! If it could happen to an on fire couple like them, it could happen to my wife and I. It could happen to you. Be sleeping alone too long because a spouse is up late getting more work done on the computer, or watching TV? Or have you been spending too much time on the road, and not enough at home with your family? Think about it. So, after finding out the news, after crying our eyes out, and asking each other question we could think of on why and how this could happen to them, we got on our knees and started to ask God for answers.
What we started to do, however, was begin to start confessing before God, and each other, how we have been neglecting each other. Not loving as God loves. Not respecting as we should. We just broke before God for what we first thought was for this couple. But what it turned out to be was for us. I started out saying that I couldn’t understand how this could happen. Well now I know. From neglect. Neglecting the God that made us. The God that formed that very union. In doing so, it is the start of neglecting each other. You stop praying together, if you ever did. The beginning of the end, you could say. You go from not being able to get enough of your spouse, to finding something else to do so you don’t have to deal with them. I wish I could say there is a happy ending, and a wonderful scripture that I can apply here. There isn’t and I don’t. All I can say is, men, love your wife well. Protect her, cherish her, serve her well without expecting anything back. Women, respect your husband. A gentle voice, and a soft touch can do a lot for a guy that has been getting kicked around by the world all day. And if he comes home a bit snarky, “A gentle word turns away wrath”. I didn’t write that one. There is a scripture out there that says something like this; If I could speak with the tongues of men and angles, and have not love, I’m nothing more than a clanging gong or cymbals……Faith hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.
The enemy of your souls, the devil, hates your guts because you look so much like God. He wants nothing more than to tear you apart. What a better way to hurt Gods heart. Stay in touch with your creator God. Don’t let go. Let Him fill you with the compassion that you will need to love your wife, or respect your husband.
