Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Encouragement for Your Marriage!

Recently, I was listening to Dave Ramsey, and he brought up an example of what it is like to go through life in marriage. He used the example of two Belgian horses to paint a picture of the amazing gift of marriage and the power that lies within a team of a husband and wife.

God's creation is pretty amazing. It is easy to be in awe of beauty, the elegant design, and the details of the work of our Intelligent Designer, One creature that I mentioned is the Belgian horse. Did you know that one Belgian horse can pull 8,000 lbs? That's quite a job that can be done. What is amazing is that two Belgian horses that have never worked together can pull 24,000 lbs. That is three times the load. The horses just have to be pulling in the same direction. If we compare this to marriage, it is like a husband and wife that are headed towards the same goals, but maybe feel like they do not even like each other most days. They have not yet figured out that the person next to them is an awesome gift. They have yet to see the beauty and power in the relationship. But what happens when a couple discovers these truths? What happens when a husband and wife start to like each other again, and maybe even begin training to work as a team? Well, in horse terms, they can pull 32,000 lbs!! That's the power of a great marriage!

The Bible tells us that "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord (Proverbs 18:22). We are a gift to our spouse, and our spouse is a gift to get God's work done, a gift so that we can have God's best for our lives. It's much more fun to go through life when you are pulling in the same direction and working as a team.

When you are working together, there is one important point you need to keep in mind. This is something that I realized a few months back, and it was just mind-boggling to me. I know you will be surprised, and you might even fall off your rocker, as the saying goes. But, something I realized was that my husband is not God. I know, it's crazy. You would have never guessed. (Okay, I'm just kidding.) But, think about it. Don't we all sometimes act as though our spouse is God. Do you ever expect your spouse to meet all of your needs? If you are like me, you have a pretty lengthy list of needs. A clean house, a restful night's sleep, lots of time to exercise, a few hours to sit back and read a good book (on the beach!) and some good home-cooking are all "needs" in my book. Having a great coach for my kids in life and in sports is also high on the priority list, But, most of all, I desire for someone who can always reassure me that everything will be okay, that my family will always be protected, and that they will be guided in the right direction. I want peace, joy, and comfort. I want foreknowledge that everything in life will be just fine and dandy.

Wow, that's quite a role to fulfill. The funny thing is, we really expect these things from our spouse! We think our spouse can give us these wonderful gifts. and I would love for that to happen. However, God and our spouse are not one in the same. Even if you think highly of your spouse, these wishes will probably only be granted by God.

Our spouse is our team, our motivator, our gift for enjoying life. He can help you to pull a load four times what you can on your own! So, be thankful! 1 Thessalonians 5:18 reads to "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). God desires for us to notice the good things in life. So, even if your spouse cannot perform miracles, know that he can pray for them to happen, and he can be God's answer to the help that you need. That is great news!


Exercise:

Think of one thing you could not do without the help and encouragement of your spouse? Have the two of you been able to pull the load about four times what you could on your own? Feel free to comment below or on my Facebook page what you are thankful for (or just let your spouse know how they are greatly appreciated).

Personal example:

I am thankful for my husband's help with cooking. Because of him, I was able to enjoy zucchini noodles with garlic and parmesan, red-skinned potatoes, and healthy no-bake chocolate chip cookies this week! I could not have done it without him!


Have a great day!

Yours truly,
~Melissa Seng

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