Amen That

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. ~ Philippians 2:1-2

Are you encouraged in your fellowship? Are you an encouragement? This verse hit me this morning in new ways that it never has before even though I've read it many times before. It amazes me how you can read the Scriptures over and over again and how various passages may jump out at you on any give day depending on what you need to hear. For me, this verse related to my marriage this morning. Your marriage? Yes, my marriage. You see I'm not always the encouraging spouse contrary to believe and I have an extremely hard time biting my tongue when my common sense doesn't jive with my husbands. I have been called to love my husband as Christ loves me and more than often I am the first one throwing the stones than trying to bless him with my words. We are one in Spirit and when it comes to the stress load of family, work and making it all come together I tend to be the one that wants to say "told you" instead of being united with him. I need to make Christ's joy complete not only in being like minded with other believers, but what about being like minded in love with my spouse? Don't misunderstand me, I don't have to agree with everything he does and when he asks me my opinion I need to give it even if it's not always what he wants to hear, but there is a tone in which I can express my opinion that can show love and there is a way to lovingly and compassionately disagree. We need to be on the same page with our spouses and if we can't be we need to pray that God would guide and direct us before we wound each other. The enemy loves that kind of destruction and we need to be guarded against the chaos he loves to create when we are not of the same like mindedness. No more! I will try my best to be an encouragement to my man! After all, there's enough in this world to knock him down and I don't need to be part of it. Amen to that! ~