‘Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ ‘ Matthew 22:37(NLT)
‘for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.’ Colossians 1:16(NLT)
‘My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ‘ Galatians 2:20(NLT)
‘Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.’ Matthew 6:33(NLT)
Devotional Content:
Do you have one way streets where you live? I do. Most of ours are in the downtown area. I think their purpose is to make traffic flow more smoothly and I think it actually works. If I am on a one-way street, I have four or six lanes going my way instead of two or three. I get where I am going faster, with less hassle. Sometimes I am in a hurry and the one-way street that I want to turn on doesn’t go the way I want it to. So I have to go another block or so, through a couple of extra traffic lights to get to the one-way street going in the direction I want to go. I have often wished that I had a remote I could click and make the one-way street always go the direction I want it to.
Marriage is a one way street — or it needs to be. One way that puts God first. One way that is a lifetime commitment to your spouse. One way that is for better or worse, richer or poorer, and in sickness or health until you die. The one-way marriage street has six lanes and I like that. The goal is always the same but there are a number of good ways to get there.
Our problem comes when we happen to think about other one-way streets. The one we can far too easily hop over to is called “me first.” It is in direct opposition to our one-way marriage street. “Me first” puts self first instead of God. It places conditions on our commitment. It says we are here if things are better, richer, and healthy, but out of here if things are worse, poor, or sick. It says we are only here till things get tough.
The one-way marriage street can be bumpy and have a few potholes but it will get us where we want to go. Those other one-way streets can take us away from an awesome marriage – sometimes so far away that we never find the way back.
Today’s Challenge:
1. What are the one-way streets that take your focus off of your marriage?
2. What do you need to do to stay off of them?
3. What do you need to do that will get – and keep – you on the one-way street leading to an Awesome Marriage?
Going Deeper:
Discuss the bumps and potholes on your one-way street today. As a couple, what will you commit to that will keep you from changing to another one-way street?
from Traffic Signs And Your Marriage – Part 1