Tough Stuff

Romans 8  

⁵ For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, ⁷ because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, ⁸ and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Isaiah 40

⁵ Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
And all flesh will see it together;
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
⁶ A voice says, “Call out.”
Then he answered, “What shall I call out?”
All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
⁷ The grass withers, the flower fades,
When the breath of the LORD blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
⁸ The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.

1 Peter 2

 ¹ Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, ² 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. . . 

 ¹¹ Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. ¹² Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Sin is comfortable. It's easy. It requires no real effort, no sacrifice, no thought, and no courage. Sin is what happens when we give up, don't care, become bitter or angry, or allow ourselves to just be and not choose. We don't realize that we're falling into a pattern, establishing a way of life. All we think about is here, now, this is what I want to do. We live so far from righteousness that we can not see it clearly; we do not know what it is. But, everything can change, if we stop, turn around, and seek God. It's far more than changing behaviors; it's about changing our hearts.

Consider this: I don't think about what I eat. Whatever is convenient, whatever is cheap, whatever I am accustomed to is what I eat. I never exercise because that requires planning and work. What happens? I get fat. My health suffers. It's a slow process; I come to live in fat . The moment I eat the doughnut I may feel momentary guilt (or maybe not) but there's no clear indicator that my health or weight is changing. What happens is a day comes when I look in the mirror and see a fat, disgusting person who is not who I wanted to be. Healthy is so far away I don't know how to reach it or maybe I don't think it's possible. But everything can change, if I stop, turn around, and seek a healthy life. I can't just adjust my behavior until I feel better though. I have to change my focus, my way of thinking, my desires.

            Either that or I die. 

Acts 2

³⁸ Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5

 ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

New American Standard Bible (NASB) from http://www.biblegateway.com/

When a Man Loves a Woman

Sometimes you will do everything right. You'll be a great wife, but your man will still hurt you. He'll be cranky or bitter or feeling prideful, or simply just acting like a man; he'll say something careless; and your feelings will be unwittingly smashed to bits.

One common reason for this is financial insecurity. Men want to provide for their families. They want to feel successful, know they are bringing home the bacon, and make sure their wives don't have to worry about the bills getting paid. Don't fault them for this behavior; God created them to be that way. Though they may not always handle the responsibility well, they are simply seeking to be what they are called to be- heads of their homes.

Another frequent catalyst is injured ego. I can't stress enough how many times the Bible says, Wives, respect your husbands. God commands it because he formed us and he knows what makes us tick. Men get their feelings hurt too, but it happens in a different way. When they feel embarrassed, ignored, insulted, or trespassed upon, they will often lash out.

There are many reasons why a person might unintentionally hurt the one they love, and while these two examples represent a large number of male indiscretions, they are certainly not the only ones. That being said, let's talk about what to do when your sweet thing acts like anything but.


Typical reactions and why they're wrong: 
Talking back/arguing- It never solves any problem. You may feel better for a moment, but all you've accomplished is aggravating the situation.
Crying- Sometimes this may be unavoidable, but here's a secret: When your man sees you are miserable, especially when he knows he caused it, he feels more miserable than before. You may not be able to see it because they usually demonstrate miserable differently than we do, but it is true. So, if you must cry in these situations, don't do it in front of him.
Discussing- Most men need time to cool down or refocus before they can talk about the conflict. If you start trying to talk it out too quickly you may cause him to become  more agitated.
Silent Treatment- While a little bit of quiet time may be beneficial, shutting your man out completely is, let's face it, childish. You're going to frustrate and alienate with this tactic.
Complaining- Telling other girls about "how unbearable he is" is counterproductive. Don't badmouth your husband. Ever. It's a sin. PERIOD


Positive reactions and how they help: 
Pray- Pray for your husband selflessly and your pain and anger melt away. (This is true when you pray for anyone, by the way.) Pray for him because he needs it and because you do.
Get some space- Take a walk, a bath, or a nap. Clean something. Write, paint, or play music. Exercise. Do whatever you can do to work off your frustration and give your man room to breathe.
Have the discussion with yourself- Sometimes writing down or saying to yourself what you want to say him helps you filter. It gives you a chance to hear what it is that you're saying. Furthermore, it gives you  an opportunity to think about what you're implying.
Wait until he is ready to talk- Hard as it may be, you need to wait for him to initiate the conversation. Now, if time has passed and he is clearly trying to pretend it didn't happen, carefully decide whether to bring it up or let it go. It may be better to wait until another time to talk to him about this behavior in general terms. (i.e. Instead of "You were really mean to me last night." try "I feel ____ when you __.")
Enlist support. Have one or two strong Christian women who pray for you and your marriage all of the time. That way, when you have a situation, you can call them up and say 'I need you to pray for me' without the need to go into the gory details. See, it's okay and good to talk to another woman about your concerns and struggles, but it's terrible to only ever talk about your husband's faults, and it's rotten to spill the private details of your marriage relationship.

Questions and protests welcome. Hope this edifies you.