WHEN WILL THEY LEARN?
If you’ve raised children or are in the midst of raising them, you’ve probably thought this phrase a time or two. When Manuel and I have conflict, I ask it of myself, sometimes weeping before the Lord, grateful for His faithfulness and everlasting love. I’ve been reading in Numbers as the Israelites wander through the desert. God declares often about the stubborn hearts of His children. And we are His children too.
I was perusing through my photos on my phone. I do not know from what I took a screen shot of the following words. I do not even know who Ryan and Selena are, but I do know that what they say is correct. Rather than paraphrasing it, I will share it below. I’m grateful this life is just a journey; it means we will one day be done. One day we will be finished faith walking and one day stand in His presence to know by sight what we have hoped for. This is a glorious time of year, but it does bring with it stresses that affect our focus, vision and purpose.
My prayer is that this exhortation will lead us all to greater repentance of self in our marriages. It is what we committed to, made vows to do when we said I DO.
"When two individuals commit to spending their lives together, side-by-side, and in the same house, the first and most persistent opposition to the health of their marriage will always be their self-centeredness. Marriage is an epic, endless clash of wills…but it doesn’t have to stay that way! If self-centeredness is the sickness (and it is), then the Gospel is the cure. We need God’s grace to deliver us from our sin- sanctifying us daily- so we may learn to love selflessly. When, in marriage, each person begins to grasp the gravity and importance of selfless love, they’ll begin to experience the weight of their own self-centeredness lift off their shoulders. May our marriages be marked by mutually selfless love that is fueled by the inexhaustible life of God in Christ."
Stay Fierce, Ryan and Selena
We are in a battle for our marriages, Satan wants to win. May we as couples embrace the selfless love of the Gospel, the selfless love of Christ towards our spouses—not just to have better marriages, but that our marriages will in fact reflect Christ to those watching—our children, our neighbors…those who question what difference does Christ make in a marriage?
I was perusing through my photos on my phone. I do not know from what I took a screen shot of the following words. I do not even know who Ryan and Selena are, but I do know that what they say is correct. Rather than paraphrasing it, I will share it below. I’m grateful this life is just a journey; it means we will one day be done. One day we will be finished faith walking and one day stand in His presence to know by sight what we have hoped for. This is a glorious time of year, but it does bring with it stresses that affect our focus, vision and purpose.
My prayer is that this exhortation will lead us all to greater repentance of self in our marriages. It is what we committed to, made vows to do when we said I DO.
"When two individuals commit to spending their lives together, side-by-side, and in the same house, the first and most persistent opposition to the health of their marriage will always be their self-centeredness. Marriage is an epic, endless clash of wills…but it doesn’t have to stay that way! If self-centeredness is the sickness (and it is), then the Gospel is the cure. We need God’s grace to deliver us from our sin- sanctifying us daily- so we may learn to love selflessly. When, in marriage, each person begins to grasp the gravity and importance of selfless love, they’ll begin to experience the weight of their own self-centeredness lift off their shoulders. May our marriages be marked by mutually selfless love that is fueled by the inexhaustible life of God in Christ."
Stay Fierce, Ryan and Selena
We are in a battle for our marriages, Satan wants to win. May we as couples embrace the selfless love of the Gospel, the selfless love of Christ towards our spouses—not just to have better marriages, but that our marriages will in fact reflect Christ to those watching—our children, our neighbors…those who question what difference does Christ make in a marriage?
by Patti Calderon
Posted in Marriage
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2023
January
WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER?RESOLVING CONFLICT AND DEALING WITH EVILWHAT KIND OF FRUIT DO YOU HAVE?GOD IS PROUD OF HIS SONPEACE IS A FUNCTION OF FOCUSTHE HEALING POWER OF JESUSGOD CALLS YOU BY NAMESMOKE AND MIRRORSBE A LIGHTWISE WORDSEXODUSCHOOSING THE RIGHT PATHGOD SEES AND HEARSWHO IS THE GREATEST IN THE KINGDOM?WARNING AGAINST FOLLY
February
March
HE HAS A PLAN FOR YOUTHE PLACE OF COMFORT AND SAFETYIT'S THE LITTLE THINGSBE ALERTMY GOD IS NOT TOO SMALLWHEN TO SPEAK AND WHEN NOT TO SPEAKGOD IS GRACIOUS TO USKEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUTSTAND STRONG FOR YOUR FAITHOUR HOPEDO I DO WHAT THE LORD ASKS OF ME?DON'T BE A SCHEMERA TREASURE HUNTLISTEN AND FOLLOWWORDS OF COMFORT OR WARNINGTHE POSSESSOR OCCUPIES AND FILLS THE POSSESSEDUNDIVIDED LOYALTY TO GODONE CONCESSION STAND
April
OUR GOD IS HOLY AND JUSTA CAUSE FOR OBEDIENCETELL THE COMING GENERATIONTHE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOLSHINE YOUR FACE UPON USLISTEN UP!CHECK WITH GOD FIRST - HE KNOWS MORE THAN WE DOPSALM 86THAT IS ENOUGH SAIDDO YOU REMEMBER?TRANSITIONSSERVE ONE ANOTHERPROVERBS“Insignificant Does Not Equal Insignificant” (Judges 6)
May
JESUS IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!FINISHING WELLARE YOU THE TEACHER OF ISRAEL AND DO NOT UNDERSTAND THESE THINGS?FORGETTING GOD IS DANGEROUS TO YOUR HEALTHREPENTANCE BRINGS MERCYGOD'S SOVEREIGN TIMING IS ALWAYS RIGHTWHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?A GODLY FATHERJESUS CARES FOR US - HE'S OUR SHEPHERDWHO DO YOU LISTEN TO?CARELESS SPEECHCONTINUE TO SERVE GODUNDIGNIFIED, HUMILIATED, AND GLORIFYING GOD!CLEAR PROMISESMEPHIBOSHETH AND THE KINGTRUST IN GOD'S LEADINGJESUS DOES THE FATHER'S WILL DEMONSTRATING LOVE FOR HIS MOTHER AND WAS GIVEN A KING'S BURIAL
June
A CLEAR PURPOSEWHAT IS TRUE WISDOMTHIS IS THE GOD WE SERVEHANDLING RELIGIOUS OPPRESSIONDO EVERYTHING FOR THE LORDMAY OUR FACES SHOW LIKE AN ANGELARE YOU FEEDING YOUR FAMILY - OR BUILDING A CATHEDRAL?FREEDOM FROM SLAVERY AND FREEDOM FROM SINUNITY TAKES ACTIONTRY IT, IT WORKSGOD'S WORDA PSALM OF KING DAVIDJEWS AND GENTILES AND SALVATIONARE YOU COMFORTABLE ENOUGH?THE GREED OF GEHAZIWORSHIPPING A KNOWN GODGOD KEEPS HIS PROMISESREASONS WHY WE SHOULD PRAISE THE LORDGOD'S AMAZING CREATION
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