12 Days To A Love That Lasts – Page 2

‘Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. You can make many plans, but the Lord ’s purpose will prevail.’ Proverbs 19:20-21(NLT)

‘Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.’ Philippians 2:12-18(NLT)

Here on this second day of building a love that lasts, we’re tackling yet another tough topic: combining your callings.

The fact of the matter is, each person in this world has a God-breathed calling in life. And when you’re by yourself, it’s much easier to imagine how God will enact that calling in your world.

But what happens when you get married is that you have to figure out how to combine those callings into a cohesive whole. And often we’re drawn together by similar callings – only to discover those similarities are sometimes not similar enough.

So what then? That’s when you welcome Jesus into your struggle to synthesize your callings with one another. It’s work – so why would you do it on your own? Invite the Lord into this and let Him work with you to turn your conflict into complements.

from 12 Days To A Love That Lasts

‘Know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into caring for your herds, for riches don’t last forever, and the crown might not be passed to the next generation. After the hay is harvested and the new crop appears and the mountain grasses are gathered in, your sheep will provide wool for clothing, and your goats will provide the price of a field. And you will have enough goats’ milk for yourself, your family, and your servant girls.’ Proverbs 27:23-27(NLT)

‘“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’’ Luke 14:28-30(NLT)

Welcome to your journey through scripture, uncovering twelve essential building blocks to a love that lasts. First up: finances.

Did you think we would start with something easy? No way! We’re taking one of the hardest ones, because we’re serious about helping you build a lasting love with your spouse.

The thing about finances is that so many couples don’t like to talk about it. Whether it’s out of embarrassment, or not wanting to acknowledge the truth of it, or just a discontent of talking money, far too many couples let this topic languish – until they’re in trouble.

But scripture lets us know that not only is this a topic to talk about, but it’s also something to plan for.

Your finances are a resource, something for you to steward. You can spend your money how you want, as long as you do it in good conscience, and you both are on the same page, and that you’re doing it intentionally.

Get a plan, get on the same page, and then stay on it. And watch what God does in your relationship as a result.

from 12 Days To A Love That Lasts