A quick word

Happy New Year to you & yours...wishing and praying that the Lord Himself will rule & reign in all your affairs.

I listened Joseph Prince recently (actually this year) and felt it was imperative to share 2 things he said as we set out in this year. As usual, my TEA, as applicable, is in green font.

If you are not ready to live in forgiveness, you're not ready to get married*.  Ask any married person and you'll find out how true this simple statement is. We must all learn to forgive others (especially our spouse) whether or not they apologise. In fact, forgiving others is really for your own benefit. Unforgiveness eats one up - please avoid it like a plague! Take the "vaccine of forgiveness" and your heart will remain healthy and whole.

Every marriage needs 2 (Teddy) bears - "Bear" & "Forbear"*. Interesting hmmm? I smiled when I heard this one especially as I'm not a "teddy-person". Well, let's think about this a bit...what do both words mean?

To bear means to tolerate and to support. It goes without saying that for our marriages to be fruitful  (in every area of life) and not futile, we must be tolerant and supportive of each other. 

"Bearing" starts with love...

In defining "Love", 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 says " Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." (NKJV)

Talking about being supportive brings two of my marriage-anchor verses to mind - it's amazing how these and other verses I call my marriage-anchor verses have kept me safe and stable.

Proverbs 12:4: "A worthy wife is her husband's joy and crown; the other kind corrodes his strength and tears down everything he does" (Living Bible)

Proverbs 31: 11 - 12: "The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely, so that he has no lack of [honest] gain or need of [dishonest] spoil. She comforts, encourages, and does him only good as long as there is life within her. (Amplified Bible)

Forbearing on the other hand means to "hold back from something: to not do or say something that you could do or say, especially when this shows self-control or consideration for the feelings of others".** This also brings another one of my marriage-anchor verses to mind.

Proverbs 31: 26: She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness [giving counsel and instruction]. (Amplified Bible)

Forbear also means to tolerate; Ephesians 4:2 encourages us to forbear one another in love.

This year (& for the rest of our lives), let's purpose to:

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  let the love of God flow in and through us (in tolerance and forgiveness),
  
  
  
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  fulfill the purpose of our creation i.e. be supportive of our husbands as help meet***
  
  
  
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  watch our words - we'll be talking some more about Communication in Secret 4...watch the blog.
  
  
  

As I was writing this, I started wondering if I should not just buy a teddy (or two) as a reminder that...

 

Wishing you a love-filled year ahead. God bless you and yours.

 

Sources:

*Sermon by Joseph Prince

**http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?lextype=3&search=forbear

*** Genesis 2:18: God said, "It's not good for the Man to be alone; I'll make him a helper, a companion." (The Message)