Next Saturday we will be celebrating our 50th Wedding anniversary. I know I have Facebook friends who have been married a long time too, some longer than us, I believe they will understand what I am about to write. The time just flies by, I still don't know how we crammed all those events and moves into just 50 years.
For those of you who think you are going to make it to 50 years of living having an easy life, think again. It was the moves, the illnesses, the trials, the people, and the life experiences, yes and many joys that grew us into the people we are today. There can be no spiritual or emotional growth without boot camp. Christ is always working on those who seek Him.
I do not regret all that we went through except the sin that had to be dealt with, even that trained us to depend more on Christ than we do on ourselves. I wish we could have gotten through life "sin-free" but it's just not possible. The flesh gets in the way but does not have to destroy us if we just repent and begin obeying Christ again.
With each confession of sin comes a growth spurt. The key is self-reflection and prayer to learn to grow in holiness. Forsaking the sin, even if it's nothing more than a wrong attitude is the key to growing into a more holy person.
1 Peter 2:1-2 "2 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 and like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord."
1 John 1:9
"9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
These verses were not written only to those who have committed the "really big" sins, these are for everyone who is born again. It isn't the size of the sin that keeps us stuck it's all sin, especially the attitudes sins that would cause us to judge others while refusing to look at ourselves.
It is a sin to gossip, to lie, to judge others for things we know nothing about, to act superior, to pretend we are righteous when in our heart dwells much angst against others for no good reason. So many people judge others according to what they wish to believe about them out of jealousy rather than what they actually saw with their own eyes. All these things are sins of the heart that people cannot necessarily see, they too will send anyone to hell who has not trusted Christ. However, for the believer these sins can keep the believer lacking joy, discrediting God, and suppressing spiritual and emotional growth to maturity.
No sin is so big one cannot repent of and continue better than before. Confession and turning from sin is the key to relationship restoration. There will be those who don't want you to believe you are forgiven or that Christ has changed you, ignore them, remove yourselves from them and continue on with great joy the path God has for you.
All of us must deal with sin in our hearts so it will not turn into actions and discredit God. When we are born again believers our witness is far more reaching than we realize. Unrepentant heart sin can cause a terrible witness if there is any witness at all.
Marriage and life itself are a battle against the devils who influence and infect minds with lies causing feelings to misguide us into thinking something is wrong when there is nothing.
Isaiah 5:20
"20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"
Those who follow feelings instead of facts will become irrational, even hostile to the resolution of problems.
Devils are using feelings far more than facts in our culture today. The devil loves to make couples feel hopeless and unable to work things out. He may even bring in the extended family to cause problems that would not otherwise be there.
1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."
When you see a person attempting to ruin or lie against your marriage you know who is behind it....the devil. A person is merely a useful tool of the demons, they are in a sense willing victims, even willingly ignorant.
May the Lord strengthen the marriages of believers to be able to resist the devil and carry on to learn wonderful lessons with each conquered battle. The devil cannot destroy a born-again believer!
2 Corinthians 4:8-10 "…8 We are hard-pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.…"
Marriage is a wonderful thing designed by God, however, it is also a battle against the power of darkness who love to ruin families. Engage in the battle by prayer and standing firm in the Word of God and your marriage can survive anything.
Hallelujah!!!!!
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