"Don't be mislead. Remember that you can't ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow! Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.
Galatians 6:7-9
I have told many people that I have never felt so accountable as I do now that I'm married. But it's not to any person, not even to my husband. Since starting to understand the verses in the Bible about submitting and trusting my husband and God, there is hardly any selfish little thought or action that doesn't go unchecked by the Holy Spirit. DANGIT! I hate that, don't you? It's cool because I feel like God is really working at reshaping my heart and thoughts and actions, and making me more godly. But could it be a little easier sometimes?
We were at a couples' meeting for our church last week, and our pastor was talking about Gal. 6. I've usually heard those verses in the context of giving, usually money. It's probably almost as popular as Malachi 3:10 for tithe/offering talks, but as soon as I started reading it as relating to my marriage...ouch. It kind of hits home a little bit more. I'm down with the idea of serving my husband and loving and respecting him, doing what he asks without complaint (at least some of the time) but I catch myself wondering why it seems that he isn't acting the same way toward me? Why isn't he trying very hard at all to serve me? How long do I have to do this before he picks up on the hints and starts it up himself? That's when the Holy Spirit steps in and reminds me that I'm not doing this because it'll get results that I'm looking for, I'm doing it to please God. If I do it for the wrong motives, then I'm sowing to the flesh and I'll reap death in my marriage. It's inevitable that if I wait for mr. r to come around, no matter when it happens it'll be too late, and I'll get nasty and bitter and cynical and naggy and give up even trying. Let me say how attractive that thought is....but if I do it to please God, then he'll bless our marriage because of my faithfulness to Him.
I have a love/hate relationship with this concept. I love that I don't have to change my husband, I just have to be obedient to God. I love that I don't even have to please my husband, only my God, and once you figure out how, it never changes. I hate that I can't change my husband even if I wanted to, thinking that it would make it easier to love him and be obedient to God. I hate that I don't get a timeline of how long it takes before I start "reaping the harvest" of the work I put in.
I guess if I have to, I suppose I'll take a character-building relationship over a "perfect", but very surfacey relationship. Darn that God and his character building schemes. It's like he thinks he knows better than we do or something...
1 comment:
thanks! =) I was looking for one of the many comics where Calvin's dad tries to get him to do something that he doesn't want to do, and the token comment from dad is that "it builds character"...this did in a pinch...=)
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