Light, Love, Hope

Have you considered having a mission in your marriage? What do people think of when you and your spouse come to mind? How is your marriage impacting the lives of others around you?

We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10

It is true that you may be the only Jesus that some people see in their lives.  There may be lost souls that do not know Jesus and have never been told how they can have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  You and your spouse can tell them.  Your actions can speak volumes in motivating others to want what you have and ask how to obtain it … and it’s simple really.  They can see how Jesus is working in your lives, your hearts, and your marriage and want that same thing for themselves!

There are those around you that are watching you and your spouse.  From friends, family members, your very own children, and people in public … your actions are being watched even if you don’t think so at that moment in time.  People pick up on how you and your spouse are toward each other.  They watch how you interact together, and even when you aren’t speaking with words, your body language speaks volumes.

Maybe your mission is to model how a marriage should be.  Maybe you will be a role model for a young couple that sees the love between you and your spouse and wonder how you keep the fires burning after all of these years together.  You just might be their inspiration to hold on a little tighter and to try a little harder in their own marriages.  You truly never know the impact you can have on someone else’s life, but I can guarantee you that God brought you and your spouse together for a very special reason with having a mission in mind.

Perhaps you and your spouse are on a mission to feed the homeless or to adopt the orphaned.  Maybe you and your spouse are on a mission to help women who have been abused or who are struggling to find their sense of self worth after years of being beat down.  Or perhaps you are supposed to open your home to teenagers so they will have an alternative place to go besides partying, drinking, and experimenting with drugs and sexual activity.   I know for us, we welcome my daughter’s teenage friends and purposely have an open door policy for them to feel free to come over to hang out so they’ll have a home away from home.  We want them to know that they are always welcome here.  This can be their safe haven and a place to come when everyone else is “partying.”  If they don’t want to give in to peer pressure, they have other options and can remove themselves from that situation and come to our house instead.

One of the bible verses that I cling to is:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

Believe this because it is true!  God had a very special mission in mind when He brought you and your spouse together.

Join us tomorrow for … When Troubles Loom Large.

For all posts in this series, click here.

Buy the book on Amazon: When Couples Walk Together: 31 Days to a Closer Connection

You probably knew this one was coming, didn’t you?  With getting our relationships in shape and our spiritual walk with God, have you given any thought to remodeling the “temple?” Your body is the temple of God. We have to take care of it!

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

When you asked your spouse out on your very first date, how did you look?  Did you labor over your appearance before picking her up?  I bet you did!  I can imagine you showering, shaving, and possibly getting your hair cut, or at the very least brushing it so that not a single hair was out of place.  I imagine that you picked out your finest attire, polished your shoes, and sprayed your best smelling cologne on.  You wanted to do everything within your power so that she would notice you.  The same goes for your mate.  I know that I made sure I looked irresistible prior to him arriving at my door.

As time goes by in relationships and marriages, we don’t take as good of care of ourselves as we once did.  As we age, we find unwanted pounds gather around our waistlines.  We have to work harder at resisting the temptation of sweets.  We have to discipline ourselves in what we eat and drink.  A basket of fries is not our friend, ladies.  Can I get an Amen on that one?  We have to lay off of the fast food and eat healthier foods.  Likewise, men can’t guzzle the beer either or else they’ll have a nice beer gut!

We truly do have to take care of ourselves.

My husband and I have exercised together in the past.  My children like to get in on this as well, especially when I throw in a Gilad workout video.  Gilad will kick your butt with his moves!  He used to be on Fit TV on satellite, and I recorded so many of his shows to have to work out to later.  Then we went to working out with Leslie Sansone doing Walk Away The Pounds in our living room.  This is something low impact that we can do together as a family.  My husband and children join in, and we laugh and do the moves together.  Now, though, we get exercise by walking our horses around the yard.  That sounds odd, I know, but now that we are losing daylight as the days are shorter here in the mist of Fall, my daughters will still want to ride their horses.  If they aren’t comfortable riding alone, we will put a lead rope on them and walk in front of the horses while our daughters are on the horse.  They get to enjoy the ride and feel of the horse while we enjoy getting a little bit of exercise as we walk together around our property leading the horses.  It makes a difference just doing this little bit of exercise together in the evening.

What are ways that you can incorporate exercise or eating better into your lives?  Ask your spouse to join you on this part of the journey, whether you’re trying to eat healthier or if you’re looking to begin an exercise routine, why not do it together?  It will make a difference, and you’re more likely to stick with it if you do it together!  You have an accountability partner right their in your spouse!  It can work.  Give it some thought and then put it into action!

Join us tomorrow for … Having A Mission.

For all posts in this series, click here.

Buy the book on Amazon: When Couples Walk Together: 31 Days to a Closer Connection

It’s important to grow together spiritually, but one simply cannot rush their spouse or try to make them into something that they aren’t. Each person has to be pursuing personal growth themselves at their own pace.  My walk will not look like my husband’s walk, and that is okay.  If we are both seeking to grow spiritually as individuals, we will end up meeting and coming alongside each other on our journey toward personal growth and a spiritual relationship with God.

We have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may … please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Colossians 1:9-10 NASB

My husband has just recently told me that he feels he needs to read the bible more.  He feels this very strongly and is beginning to go deeper with his relationship with God.  Up to this point, we have read, studied, and even prayed separately, with the exception of blessing the meal before we eat as a family.  Not wishing to intrude, I have just presented that if he would like, we can start reading the bible together as well as praying together.  He hesitated initially, but then he seemed to like the idea.  So, we are going to begin tonight in doing just that.

In the past, we have each been involved in small groups at church. He was in a men’s small group while I was in a women’s small group.  We met once a week, and it seemed to be what we needed at that season in our lives.  At another point, though, when we first started going to this one church in particular, we went together to a couple’s small group.  We have enjoyed both aspects involved in these small groups that we were a part of.

We have also gone out with other couples to enjoy each other’s company, but you have to be careful here.  The reason I say that is because if you and this other couple are not on the same page spiritually, one could cause the other to stumble along the way.  It is true in that it matters who you associate with because while you could help bring someone up, they have the potential to bring you down, too.  That is something that you do not need individually or as a couple.  Guard your hearts, minds, and your marriages!

Another way that we have grown together as well as individually is by reading books.  My husband and I are big into “self help” type books.  We enjoy reading relationship books, thus the reason we chose this particular book to write as our #write31days series for the month of October.  But, we also enjoy reading books to help each of us on our personal journey toward greatness!  We strive to improve and continue growing.

What are some ways that you can grow together and as individuals?

Join us tomorrow for … Remodeling the “Temple.”

For all posts in this series, click here.

Buy the book on Amazon: When Couples Walk Together: 31 Days to a Closer Connection