6 Ways to Strengthen Your
Marriage, Draw Closer to God and Help Your Spouse Draw Closer to God -
- Expectations ruin relationships; don't argue or disagree openly, around or in front of others
- Praise each other openly; have weekly or monthly date night; kiss each other on the cheek, hug each other; hold each other's hand, openly
- Write down 5 good things throughout the week about your spouse and share them with your spouse
- Do something nice for your spouse daily without expectations of something in return
- Read your Bible together, out loud, at least one chapter a night, with the family, then have a q &a session about what you read after.
- Pray together, out loud, daily, with your spouse
Wednesday,
July 20, 2016
6:29 PM
II Kings 4:8-17 -
"And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed
to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And
so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. And
she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of
God, which passeth by us continually. Let us make a little chamber, I pray
thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a
stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall
turn in thither. And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into
the chamber, and lay there. And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this
Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him. And he said unto
him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this
care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or
to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.
And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she
hath no child, and her husband is old. And he said, Call her. And when he had
called her, she stood in the door. And he said, About this season, according to
the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou
man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. And the woman conceived, and bare a
son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life."
The woman in the
above Scripture was an outstanding example of a godly woman.
She was grateful.
- She had a deep contentment
with her life (v.13), she was happy and content with her life and her husband. She was peaceful, happy,
joyful and contented.
Proverbs 31:16 - "She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard."
Fall in love with your God given position as a dedicated and devoted wife and mother; this is one of your ministries. Be content with the place and position God gives you.
Philippians 4:11 - "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." - She had no wrong
expectations; (vs. 13,16) she didn't harbor or hope for any wrong
expectations. EXPECTATIONS RUIN RELATIONSHIPS AND ….
DESTROY FRIENDSHIPS
|
PRODUCE ANGER AND BITTERNESS
|
DAMAGE CONTENTMENT
|
PRODUCE DISAPPOINTMENT
|
Our expectations are
usually built on what we think are our
rights -
Wrong expectations
or 'rights' would be things like
Right to be happy
|
Right to have
godly children
|
Right to expect
godly behavior
|
Right to a godly
marriage
|
Godly goals and
working towards them is good - but, EXPECTATIONS
RUIN RELATIONSHIPS
What we perceive as
human rights are not rights, but expectations.
Leviticus 19:32 -
"Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head,
and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD"
When our faith and
trust are in God, we are content and thankful with little. The woman and her
husband gave and didn't expect anything in return.
Luke 6:35 - "But love ye your enemies, and do good, and
lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the
children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil."
EXPECTATIONS RUIN RELATIONSHIPS and can damage
your spirit of gratefulness.
To have a spirit of
gratefulness, give your expectations and your husband over to God, every day,
several times a day if necessary. Ask God to give you whatever He wants you to
have.
Luke 24:21 - "But we trusted that it had been he which should have
redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these
things were done." wrong expectations leave us disappointed,
delusional, upset, angry and sad.
Make sure your
expectations are reasonable, and are God's. Make sure your expectations for
your family are actually their
responsibilities under God and not
your own expectations.
Don't expect to be - treated right, remembered on
your birthday, or remembered on your anniversary.
Real expectations
would be -
Expect the one you
need to not be there when you need them the most
Expect that death is
going to come
Watch out for pride
(the "I" factor) - "I did this and deserve praise or
mention" or expecting people to follow you, bless you or that God will
bless you the way you think He should bless you - those are pride.
When we are in a
confrontation and we strike back at someone, it is a portrait of the serpent
(satan) in us.
Psalm 22 - "(To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm
of David.) My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from
helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime,
but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. But thou art
holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in
thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were
delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. But I am a worm, and
no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me
laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He
trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he
delighted in him. But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make
me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. I was cast upon thee from the
womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly. Be not far from me; for trouble
is near; for there is none to help. Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls
of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a
ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are
out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My
strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and
thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the
assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I
may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among
them, and cast lots upon my vesture. But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my
strength, haste thee to help me. Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling
from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard
me from the horns of the unicorns. I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in
the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. Ye that fear the LORD, praise
him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of
Israel. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. My
praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before
them that fear him. The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the
LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. All the ends of the world
shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations
shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the
governor among the nations. All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and
worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can
keep alive his own soul. A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the
Lord for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness
unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this."
Jesus is the picture
of a worm, He doesn't strike back. A spirit of gratefulness is born out of
"I deserve nothing, I am a nobody", humbleness.
II Corinthians 10:12
- "For we dare not make ourselves of the
number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they
measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves,
are not wise."
Psalm 62:5 - "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation
is from him."
Give your expectations to God
Give your husband/marriage to God
Give your kids to God
6 Ways to Strengthen Your
Marriage, Draw Closer to God and Help Your Spouse Draw Closer to God -
- Expectations ruin relationships; don't argue or disagree openly, around or in front of others
- Praise each other openly; have weekly or monthly date night; kiss each other on the cheek, hug each other; hold each other's hand, openly
- Write down 5 good things throughout the week about your spouse and share them with your spouse
- Do something nice for your spouse daily without expectations of something in return
- Read your Bible together, out loud, at least one chapter a night, with the family, then have a q &a session about what you read after.
- Pray together, out loud, daily, with your spouse
Jenn
