Schedule Time for Each Other –In the midst of a hurried and mobile society it may seem like an exaggeration to schedule time for your marriage, but consider it for a moment. Many of us are so highly involved in our careers, our children’s school, church activities, coaching sports teams, working out, running and reading we might not have time for our marriages. Well, it is time to make time. Schedule a date night with your spouse or even some time to grab a cup of coffee. Make Time!
Pray for Each Other – You might already do this, but evaluate your prayer life. Stop praying about how God should change your spouse for your benefit and pray that God will change you both for His benefit!
Stop Using the Word “I” – Try an experiment, when you are discussing your marriage, stop using the word “I.” (You may only use the word “I” when you are describing the mistake or fault you have.) Instead of “I” use the word “we”.” This simple change creates an encouragement and unity to build your marriage.
Have a Devotional Together – A devotional does not have to be a theological discussion of the variants of the Greek text; it may be a time where you read a passage and discuss what it means in your relationship.
As I give these tips, I leave out the things I take for granted:
Telling your spouse you love them
Hugging and kissing your spouse
Going to Worship with your spouse
I give these tips in addition to what you do as a couple. Finding time and using that time to grow closer together is a quality many couples talk about, but they are only done when the bottom begins to fall out.
Each week there are a few things followers of Christ do to strengthen their relationship with the Lord and to enhance their relationship with each other. Though the world sees them as simple, the deeper meaning behind each one is the key to a long lasting, strong fellowship.
Each week, Christians meet to commemorate the Lord’s Death on the Cross (Luke 22.19; 1 Corinthians 11.23-26) as the Christians in the first century did (Acts 20.7). It is during this time each person’s mind should reflect on the sacrifice of Christ (1 Corinthians 11.27-32).
Each week, Christians meet to pray together. The Bible speaks of the power of prayer in passages such as James 5.16, “The prayer or a righteous person has great power in its working.” Christians know not only the power of individual prayer, but also the power of united, group prayer (Acts 4.24-31; 12.5; 20:36)
Each week, Christians meet to sing. Passages such as Ephesians 5.19-21 and Colossians 3.16 speak of the singing of Christians. Their singing was to God and each other, but it came as a result of their salvation in Christ. The realization of salvation from sin should be enough to make anyone sing for joy (James 5.13)
Each week, Christians meet to study God’s Word (Acts 20.7). The study of God’s word was a core practice among the early church and not just on the first day of the week, but through the book of Acts, you will find they were constantly studying the Book (Acts 17.11) because they understood it was their inspired guide to salvation (2 Timothy 3.16-17).
Each week, Christians give. When a need arose, the early Christians sought to fill that need for the brethren. Whether it be a famine, hardships or supporting the work of the gospel, the early Christians stepped up to meet the need (1 Corinthians 16.1, 2; Acts 4.34-35; Acts 11.29)
Each week, and throughout the week, the early Christians met together to draw closer to God knowing that, in turn, he would draw closer to them (James 4.8). Their fellowship with each other was greater because of their desire for God and as a result, they found a greater fellowship with each other.
Let us strive together to strengthen our fellowship by drawing closer to God and closer to each other.
The constant battle of the “good angel” on one shoulder vs. the “evil angel” on the other is portrayed as the battle each Christian faces in the midst of daily life. Choices arise every day testing our beliefs and some of those choices challenge us more than others.
How should we handle the choices of good and evil?
The answer is simple but the actions are hard.
We should all put the evil out of our lives in order to serve the Almighty God, but the practical application might not be an easy one. Each person has desires and emotions towards things we may know are wrong but we wish to hang onto those a little longer.
God, knowing the deeds and thoughts of man, instructed the Israelites in the Old Testament to purge the evil from the camp. Consider these verse in your study – Deuteronomy 13.5; Deuteronomy 17.7; Deuteronomy 17.12; Deuteronomy 19.13; Deuteronomy 19.19; Deuteronomy 21.9; Deuteronomy 21.21; Deuteronomy 21.22; Deuteronomy 22.24; Deuteronomy 24.7
At least 11 times in the book of Deuteronomy, God wants the Israelites to purge the evil from their midst.
Looking at the above from a historical point, one can see how the relationship the Israelites had with God grew powerful when they listened to His words, then grew apart when the Israelites did not heed the words of God.
As the creator and provider for mankind, God knows and has seen man struggle with the battle of good and evil on a daily basis, hence God’s words to mankind to “purge the evil” from the midst. God wants the best for man so He provided words to hear.
The apostle Paul understood the influence of one person on the congregation of the saints. When dealing with a continual immoral-living person, Paul speaks of their influence when he says, “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” (1 Corinthians 5.6; ESV). Paul knew that even one person’s example affects the whole group.
As Paul continues in 1 Corinthians 5, he says the leaven must be cleansed. Each person reading this understands that the evil must be purged from the group, because of the influence which will rub off on one another.
While one today may think Paul’s statement to be harsh, the history of purging evil goes back to the Old Law.
When evil is not purged from our lives, we become calloused to the emotions we once felt. To give you a modern day example, several years ago the hit television show, “Leave it to Beaver” was censored for showing a bathroom. Have you seen something worse than a bathroom on television today? Has our viewing of television calloused us to the things of the world once thought of as being appalling?
What do you need to purge from your life? What influences are not what the Lord wants?
Can you believe it is already March of 2019? It is hard to believe that we have already seen two months pass by this year. Time is sure moving faster. (By the way, time stays the same, we just miss it because we get so busy.)
How are you doing on your spiritual goals?
Some people set spiritual goals at the beginning of the year, were you one of them? If so, how much progress are you making towards your spiritual success?
Whether you are making progress or you simply need a reset, allow me to offer a few suggestions to get you back on track for this year. Below are a few simple suggestions to help you continue on the track of spiritual success. Take a moment and see which one will help you.
A Proverb a Day – Did you know that Proverbs has 31 chapters and several months have a total of 31 days? Take time and read a chapter of proverbs a day. (Example: on day 1 read Proverbs 1; day 2 read Proverbs 2)
Make Service A Priority – To really grow as a Christian, you will find that attending services will help you grow in two ways: (1) Closer to God and (2) closer to your brothers and sisters. The Hebrews writer says that brethren can “stir up one another.” (Hebrews 10:24)
Pray like Daniel – Reading through Daniel, you find that Daniel prayed three times a day (Daniel 6:10). As a result of his prayer life, you see the benefits of strength. Schedule sometime to pray at least twice a day and make it a goal to achieve at least three.
Teach the Young Ones – From the beginning, the Lord wants us to teach the young people about Him and the riches of His blessings. Teaching the young of the blessings, begins in our daily conversations. Take a moment and read Deuteronomy 6:1- 9. Make it a goal to mention God daily.
Remember to Teach Others – One of the goals for every Christians should be to teach others the lifestyle of Christ. Paul mentions to Titus that the younger should teach the older in Titus 2 and this is a great pattern to learn about the walk of a mature Christian.
Be Thankful – As the Lord blesses us each day, let us thank Him for His continual blessings. The blessings we have come from the Father (James 1.5). Remember to thank God daily in everything He has provided. (Colossians 3:17)
The poem below was discovered in the collections of Fannie Crosby. You may know Fannie Crosby through various songs in many songbooks, but here is a poem she wrote regarding an “Unanswered Prayer.”
“For What His Love Denies.”
God does not give me all I ask,
Nor answer as I pray;
But, O, my cup is brimming o’er
With blessings day by day.
How oft the joy I thought withheld
Delights my longing eyes,
And so I thank Him from my heart
For what His love denies.
Sometimes I miss a treasured link
In friendship’s hallowed chain,
And yet His smile is my reward
For every throb of pain.
I look beyond, where purer joys
Delight my longing eyes;
And so I thank Him from my heart
For what His love denies.
How tenderly He leadeth me
When earthly hopes are dim;
And when I falter by the way,
He bids me lean on Him.
He lifts my soul above the clouds
Where friendship never dies;
And so I thank Him from my heart
For what His love denies.
Maybe it is an inherited trait or maybe it is as a result of my environment, but I enjoy starting over. I enjoy opening a new book, a new journal and even watching a new television show. Each new thing is a new beginning. I love new beginnings.
This Sunday is the first Sunday of the new year.
Physically, we closed the calendar on 2018 and opened a new year with a new beginning. Most enjoy the moment of staring over and set different goals each year. Others will just continue on the same path they have for a while, traveling down the same road. While there is nothing wrong with either one, the question comes down to, “Are you getting better?”
Each day, we have the opportunity to get better. Some take advantage of this opportunity every day and other let the opportunity slide by without notice. I encourage you to be a person to take advantage of the moment.
What about the advantage you have in Christ? I typically call it an opportunity, but for a moment think of it as an advantage. Here are a few of the advantages you have as a Christian:
The forgiveness of sins (Matthew 6.12-14; Luke 5.21-24; Acts 2.38; Acts 8.22)
The ability to live forever (John 3.15; John 6.47; Romans 2.7; Titus 1.2)
