Spiritual Discernment in Marriage
Speaking as someone who is in a successful marriage I can tell you that the ride gets bumpy. Emotions change. Bodies change. We go through spiritually dark times in our lives. We go through dire physical ailments. How many successfully married people are interested in letting others really know what criteria they use to make it work? Here is my list:
Make sure you have someone...
Make sure you have someone...
- ...you can forgive when (s)he confesses to you of serious sins against you and repents. (...and who will repent when (s)he sins!)
- ...to whom you can confess having sinned against, who will forgive you as you repent. (...and you must repent when you sin!).
- ...for whom you can set your pride aside to serve sacrificially.
- ...who will set aside his/her pride and serve you sacrificially.
- ...who will not manipulate you emotionally.
- ...who you will not manipulate emotionally.
- ...who you can love when his/her health makes it impossible to return your love.
- ...who will love you when your health makes it impossible to return his/her love.
- ...who will not speak unkindly of you to others.
- ...who you will not speak unkindly of to others.
- ...who you will love when you do not find him/her very lovable.
- ...who will love you when (s)he does not find you very lovable.
- ...with whom you share a ministerial vision.
- ...with whom you can pray and study the Bible.
Labels: Christian, courting, love, marriage, spiritual discernment, spouse
posted by Jim Pemberton at 2:45 PM
2 Comments:
Hey brother Jim,
I am going to post something up on Black and Reformed on marriage in the next couple of days. I think it will be 4 or 5 sermons from a guy who pastors Redeemer Chruch Ft. Worth, Texas. It is amazing. Have you ever read. The Exemplary Husband? Great works
I look forward to reading your post, brother Lionel, and I'll keep an eye out for it. I haven't read The Exemplary Husband, but it sounds like a winner. There are so many books I wish I could get to. Our minister of education is passing around Family Driven Faith by Dr. Voddie Baucham and I want to read it too.
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