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31 Day Marriage Reset – Day 27

‘This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!’ 2 Corinthians 5:17(NLT)

God, if I ever stop seeing my spouse the way that You do, please remove my hands from my eyes. 

•••

Sometimes it’s easy to see our spouse for the things they do rather than who they are. It’s easier to see their weaknesses than it is to see their strengths. It’s easier to see their stumbles than it is to see their strides. However, that is the opposite of how God looks at us. He sees us through the eyes of love. He sees the best in us, even in our worst seasons. He is our biggest fan. He is our greatest friend. The way He looks at us is how we should strive to see our spouse. An encourager, not a nagger. A forgiver, not one to hold a grudge. He is for us, not against us.

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31 Day Marriage Reset – Day 26

‘So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. ‘ Galatians 6:9(NLT)

Even if your spouse isn’t doing as they should, you still should.

•••

One time I was at conference and the speaker was talking about how they had been in a dry season, and were having a hard time hearing the voice of God. They said that while they were in that season, since they weren’t sure what step to take next or what direction God was calling them in, the only thing they knew to do was to continue living according to God’s Word. To wake up every day in that season and say, “God, I give this day to you. Help me to live in a way that glorifies You.” I thought that was so powerful. That when we don’t know what to do, we can simply just do what is right. We can  continue to be faithful with our every moment. I love how the sermon ended, too. They said that in that season, one day they woke up and heard God so clearly say, “It’s over.” That day that season ended, and God started to take them in such a clear direction. Sometimes we go through seasons that aren’t fun, that aren’t enjoyable, and that are just down right hard, but we are still called to be faithful in the waiting. If you’re in one of those seasons, while you wait submit yourself to God, and choose to do the right thing.

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31 Day Marriage Reset – Day 25

‘I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.’ Romans 15:13(NLT)

Today is a good day to choose a good day.

•••

Sometimes good days don’t just come naturally. The morning is hectic, someone gets a flat tire, the power gets cut off, etc. Sometimes things happen that literally make us feel like the whole day was just awful. However, that doesn’t have to be the case! It does have to be a choice, though. Sometimes we are put in positions where we can either have a bad attitude about an unfortunate event, or we can thank God for all the blessings in our lives. Today is a good day to choose a good day. Not based on how the day goes, but based on the fact that God has been so good to you. Make today the day that you start trying to focus on your blessings rather than your circumstances. 

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31 Day Marriage Reset – Day 24

‘But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ‘ Galatians 5:22(NLT)

Your relationship with your spouse should not shape your relationship with God, but your relationship with God should shape your relationship with your spouse.

•••

How often do you stop and take a second to reflect before you react? How often do you pause to pray before you panic? As Christians, it is so important that we don’t dive headfirst into our feelings, because sometimes the way that we feel doesn’t lead us to saying or doing Godly things. For the sake of our love for God and our marriages, it is so important to take a minute to align our hearts and thoughts with God’s Word, so that we can respond to situations in ways that glorify Jesus. We need to begin asking God more often to make our hearts so in tune with Him that our actions follow His example and our thoughts are fixed on His ways. The more we focus on God, the more beautiful our marriages will be. 

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31 Day Marriage Reset – Day 23

‘For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude’ Psalms 32:7(NLT)

God, please protect us from anything that could compromise our relationship with you or our spouse.

•••

Can you think of a time where something that shouldn’t have happened wouldn’t have happened had you not put yourself in a situation? I can think of many of those times for myself. Sometimes there are things that can easily be avoided just by simply avoiding a person, place, or thing. However, it is so important that we ask God for guidance. Ask God to help you avoid people, places, and things that wouldn’t honor your spouse and more importantly your love for Jesus and your thankfulness for the Cross. Do not compromise your relationship with your spouse or with God for something that Satan has dressed in temporary satisfaction, that in reality is just a heartbreak. 

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31 Day Marriage Reset – Day 22

‘Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. ‘ 1 John 3:18(NLT)

Before you waste time misunderstanding and miscommunicating — take time to understand and communicate.

•••

It is so easy to fall into the pit of a misunderstanding. We’ve done this so many times. You get offended by something that was said or done just because you didn’t take the time to understand. This often happened for us when our baby was a newborn. We were trying to correct each other constantly on how to handle her only to soon realize that was not benefiting our marriage in the least bit. Quite the opposite, actually. It was only leading to offense after offense. With that, we had to have a conversation about how we both realized what was going on and that it had to stop. The reality was that we were just trying to help each other, but at the same time not taking time to understand that we were both brand new at parenting and trying to figure things out. After we had that conversation, we began to see God start working in our marriage for the better. If there is something going on in your marriage that is causing offense after offense, take time today to have a conversation. It could just be a misunderstanding.

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31 Day Marriage Reset – Day 21

‘The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”’ 1 Peter 3:12(NLT)

I hope you’ve prayed for your spouse more times than you’ve gotten frustrated with them this week.

•••

When we were at our worst, Jesus prayed for us. When our sin had Jesus crucified, He looked up to heaven and said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34).” Can we just close our eyes and take ten seconds to soak that in? You guys, that’s love. He could’ve been mad, He could’ve cursed us, He could have climbed off of that Cross, but He didn’t. He prayed for us. Why? Because He loves us. He has a covenant with us that means more to Him than our sinful choices. He didn’t lash out at us and tell us how bad we are or how much we had just messed up, He prayed for us. This. This is the most faithful display of love. When your spouse frustrates you, how do you react? I think we can all work on trying to react a little more like Jesus. With prayer. God help us! Amen!

Ask God to help you in times of frustration to reflect Jesus. 

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31 Day Marriage Reset – Day 20

‘Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. ‘ Colossians 3:2(NLT)

You will never be happy in your marriage until you choose to focus on God rather than all the things that bother you.

•••

Whew y’all… it’s so true that sometimes we tend to focus on the negative. How our spouse said they would do something and then they forgot. How they said they would pay a bill and now there’s a late fee. Things happen, fingers are pointed, and then everyone is flustered. However, crying over spilled milk doesn’t clean it up or change the fact that it was spilt. Making it a habit of showing grace, rather than grumbling, will result in a lot more peace in your marriage. Learn from mistakes, have a conversation about them if it is necessary, but don’t dwell on them. Turn your attention to God and ask Him to help you show grace to your spouse the way that He shows grace to you.

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31 Day Marriage Reset – Day 19

‘A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.’ Proverbs 25:28(NLT)

You cannot control your spouse, so you must work at controlling yourself.

•••

We believe that one of the leading causes (if not the leading cause) of divorce is the lack of self-control. Not choosing to walk according to God’s word, but rather choosing to stumble according to the flesh. It’s selfishness. It’s an internal decision that the way you feel is more important than the truth of God’s Word. You can’t make your spouse’s decisions, but you can make your own and you can choose your reactions! Put less focus on trying to fix your spouse, and more on not allowing their decisions to waiver your commitment to Jesus. One of the best ways to influence your spouse to make Godly decisions is by making Godly decisions for yourself. 

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31 Day Marriage Reset – Day 18

‘Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.’ Psalms 34:5(NLT)

Don’t treat your spouse the way that they treat you, instead treat your spouse the way that God treats you.

•••

Do you want your marriage to be beautiful? To feel like a breath of fresh air? To radiate love, joy, peace, and kindness? We believe that there is a way to have that. We believe that is the kind of marriage that is produced when a husband and a wife decide that their marriage has to be less about themselves, their feelings, and their desires and centrally based on Jesus. Based on reflecting His patience and character. Based on pleasing Him. Based on shining a light for His Kingdom. When God’s love shapes the way you love your spouse, rather than your spouses actions shaping the way that you love them, your marriage will be radiant. 

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