LOVE YOUR SPOUSE

THE POWER OF ANTICIPATION

LOOK AT HOW THE WOMAN describes her husband,  “Behold, he comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.  My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag”  (Song of Solomon 2:9).  Can you sense the power of this love, the anticipation she feels as she scans the horizon?  Her soul is longing to catch a glimpse of him.

And in verses 10-14 you begin to see how Solomon has cultivated this power of anticipation.  He woos her with descriptions of flowers and springtime and secret places where they will go.

The wise husband will take a page out of Solomon’s songbook and court his wife.  He will realize she wants special time away with him—away from newspapers, televisions, radio, telephone, kids.  She wants him to sweep her off her feet.

As I look back on the times of passion and romance and love that Barbara and I have most enjoyed, they have happened when we plan something special and build in the element of surprise.  It might be a special date, a surprise picnic, a weekend away at a cabin in the wood…anything that sparks the imagination and builds a sense of anticipation.  It’s one of the greatest secrets to keeping the romantic fires burning in your marriage.

NOTE:  This article is from the book Family Life and Marriage Bible by Dennis and Barbara Rainey.

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SATURDAY QUESTION & ANSWER 

Question #1.   How can I protect my marriage from the things that would rob it of romance?

Answer #1.  The bible suggests an appropriate name for romance robbers.  After the bride of King Solomon described him in endearing poetic terms, her brothers said, “Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes”  (Song of Solomon 2:15) .

In those days, a wise gardener would protect his vineyard from foxes.  The nocturnal bandits would sneak in during the dead of the night and eat the most tender parts of the vine, rendering them fruitless and useless.

The vineyard is like your marriage.  The foxes are the things that sneak up on you and snatch the fruit of passion before it can bloom.  And they can be anything: television, cell phone, household chores, hobbies—you name it.  Even children can be foxes!  The terrible thing is that these sly creatures are relentless.  Drop your guard, and they’ll reduce the vineyard of your marriage to a barren, lifeless place where romance shrivels on the vine.

Don’t let it happen to you!  Catch those little foxes and keep them out of your garden.  If you don’t know what they are, then observe carefully.  You’ll spot them if you look for them!

NOTE:  This article is from the book Family Life and Marriage Bible by Dennis and Barbara Rainey.

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RESENTMENT IS LIKE TAKING POISON

Resentment breeds resentment just like weeds breed weeds.

Resentment is like taking POISON and waiting for the other person to die.

Resentments destructive power comes from several sources:

First, Resentment prevents contentment.

“Godliness with contentment is great gain.” 1Tim.6:6

Your resentment will destroy your marital happiness.

If we were left to our own devices, we would self-destruct.

Second, Resentment exaggerates emotional hurts.

“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” (Prov.10:19)

Exaggerating is lying.

Lying and slandering your spouse, the bible states that it is one of the things that God hates.

Don’t think that because it is your spouse that it gives you the freedom to exaggerate.

NO! NO! NO!

Third, Resentment never forgets.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell in the past..”  Isa.43:18

Therapists try but fail to get people to let go of resentments.

Resentment best fits our “lower nature”.

In other words, we become animalistic when we harbor resentment.

85% of illnesses are due to stressful situations.

Has holding resentment against your spouse ever made you healthier or happier?

We enjoy resentment because it makes us feel self-righteous and adds to our self-pity.

We feel uncomfortable like we are betraying our deepest need if we let our spouse off the hook.

Fourth, Resentment is revengeful.

“…Avenge not yourself…it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” Rom. 12:19

The natural thing for us to do is to plan revenge against our spouse.

Get the weeds out of your marriage!

Only you can do it.

No one else can put those weeds out.

They are growing and multiplying as you read this blog.

The longer they stay there, the thicker and stronger they get.

You will JUSTIFY  your position, but the reality is you have lost your position.

Clear the path to your heart so the Holy Spirit can bring great things into your life and marriage.

NOTE:  Daily there is a new post to help your marriage succeed.

MAJOR SOURCE OF MARITAL STRESS.

Resentment is a powerful emotion that is one of the major sources of marital stress.

One of the most destructive of all human emotions is resentment.

“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking; be put away from you…”

Resentment means a feeling of displeasure and righteous anger, from a sense of being injured or offended.

Why was Paul so adamant about resentment?

Resentment is a DESTRUCTIVE POWER.

Bitterness in the Greek is “Pikria” which literally means a plant that produces a poisonous fruit.

Resentment is a powerful emotion that is one of the major sources of marital stress.

Research has found that there is an increase in depression in a disruptive marriage.

In a 2009 study, it was revealed that spousal anger contributes to depressive illness.

On going conflict puts a damaging strain on you, your children, your family, and your friends.

Is that the kinds of family life you want to come home to?

There are no winners in a home filled with “bitter fungus”.

Your body is paying a price for all that resentment bottled up inside of you.

Marital conflict increases blood pressure, coronary heart disease and congestive heart failure.

When you are angry and resentful, don’t COMMUNICATE!

Give God your super-sensitivity, selfishness and need for control, in order to decrease resentment.

You will have unresolved resentment from past hurts if your harbor bitterness.

Have you been violated by your parents, family, close friends, former spouses or former dating partners?

Don’t unconsciously, deeply wound your best friend (spouse).

Psychologist Dr. Archibald D. Hart states in his book “Helping Children Survive Divorce” that only the gospel of Christ is capable of healing the deepest human hurt at its very root.

The ability to forgive others is a gift from God that releases us from damaged emotions.

Don’t let your marriage be a playground for Satan.

You give him that permission when you harbor resentment.

NOTE:  Daily there is a new post to help your marriage succeed.

DON’T BLOCK YOUR SPOUSE’S JUBILATION

There is an important human need inside each one of us to CONTRIBUTE something into this world.

The definition of contribute is to give with others and beyond ourselves; to furnish knowledge or ideas; to share in bringing about results; to be partly responsible.

We need to know that what we do ADDS value for ourselves and for others.

Have you ever found yourself searching for meaning or purpose?  Well your spouse does also.

God put that in us because we are to be the SHOWCASE for God’s glorious character.

Psa.89:1 “…I will sing the mercies of the Lord forever: with my mouth I will make known thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.”

Your spouse needs to feel proud of his results.

Listen to Apostle Paul brag.  2Thess.1:4 “…we ourselves glory…”

Your spouses time, talents and energy have been a GREAT contribution to others.

Paul used the Greek word “egkauchaomai.”  

It means “to brag” or “to boast”.

He was proud of them because they were viciously and relentlessly pursued.

If your spouse is led by their values, they will value THEMSELVES.

A great source of inner fulfillment is when your spouse learns to commit to the values he wants to contribute.

When your spouses need to contribute is not met there are EMOTIONS that are associated with it.

Spouses need to be on a performance treadmill in order to fulfill the need to contribute.

Shame, fear, worthlessness, depression and dejection are some of the emotions suffered when the need to contribute is not RECOGNIZED.

When your spouse is contributing and being recognized for their part, they feel satisfaction, happiness, pride and fulfillment.

Let’s not stand in the way of their JUBILATION.

Let’s partake in the initiating of the jubilation.

That is your privilege as their spouse.

NOTE:  Daily there is a new post to help your marriage succeed.

STEPS TO BECOME A BLISSFUL COUPLE

For any marriage to be blissful, couples should understand the 5 phases of marital love.

All the phases must manifest in every home, if the home is to be a place of love and togetherness.

Phase 1 – Attraction:

This is what we call face love.

It involves accepting the outlook of your spouse and be intoxicated by it.

As soon as a man loses interest in the outlook and dressing of his wife, it will affect other phases of love.

Both husband and wife should train themselves to be interested in the outlook of their spouse.

Phase 2 – Emotion:

This is what we do refer to as “mind love”.

It involves giving room for deep affection toward one’s spouse.

It is heartfelt love; it’s frequency is always very high before wedding, during honey moon and shortly after the wedding.

But most of the time, it doesn’t last as couples begin to take each other for granted.

It affects their feelings, and kills the “mind love”.

Phase 3 – Compulsion Love:

It is known as responsibility love.

This is the kind that exists between a man and his wife that makes them stay together and perform their duties to each other even when they are no more attractive to each other and affection is gone.

This is what remains in many marriages; when it departs from the home, there is likely to be separation and divorce.

Phase 4 – Passion:

This is known as sexual love.

It is the aspect that makes the man to desire to sleep with his wife.

If it exists between unmarried people, it is called lust.

Most of the time wives are the first to lose this face of love.

In fact, it is one of the things a woman loses when she is unhappy with her husband, thereby leading to sexual denial of her husband.

Phase 5 – Compassion:

It is known as a God kind of love or agape love.

This love is unusual; it is not based on the outlook, body chemistry, feelings or happenings around us.

It is a love that is deep rooted in kindness and acceptance.

It is a sacrificial love.

Unfortunately very few couples got married based on this kind of love; most women based their marriages on emotional love, while men based theirs on attraction and passion.

NOTE:  This article was written by Bisi Adewale.  bisiadewale.com

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WEAK HUSBANDS AND DOMINANT WIVES

No one would have dreamed Brad and Sue had marriage problems.

From the outside, their relationship looked perfect.

He was outgoing and handsome with a gentle, personable manner.

She was fun-loving and family-oriented, faithful to God and Brad.

Everyone loved being around them because they were so easy to get along with, but no  one noticed their deteriorating marriage.

Sue had first been attracted to Brad because of his sweet, gentle nature–but before long it began to irritate her.

People were drawn to his kindness, so they went to him with their problems.

He was a great listener but lacked the character and convictions to provide any solid answers.

He was a people-pleaser.

He wouldn’t lead.

That lack of leadership was the root of a problem that grew between Brad and Sue.

She appreciated his good qualities but found herself losing more and more respect for him.

She took her frustration out on him by complaining.

She nagged him about the things he wasn’t doing.

She needled him about his lack of leadership.

Brad resented her remarks and attitude and resisted making the changes she wanted to see.

Brad was partly at fault.

He was falling short of God’s call for men to lead their wives in a righteous, sacrificial manner.

But Sue was as much of the problem as Brad.

From the start of their relationship, it was her dominant personality that enabled him to be passive.

Rather than keeping her naturally aggressive and opinionated personality in check, she exploited Brad’s personality.

She used it to dominate him.

At one point, he had seemed to enjoy her strong personality and opinions, but now he resented them.

Sue was confused.

Brad was frustrated.

Neither was happy.

The problem was that Sue wanted to control Brad.

As Dr. Marlin Howe once wrote, “I have never yet met a woman who respected a man she could control.  So from her innermost soul swells a basic need to disrespect her husband, to find fault with him.”

Along the same lines, a man will struggle to love a woman who controls him.

When this happens, the man tends to ignore her or seek significance elsewhere.

Both spouses end up pushing each other away.

The solution is for the man and woman to return to the roles God has designed for us in marriage: a husband leading with Christ-like love and a sacrificial spirit.

The woman dependent on his leadership and supporting him as his helpmate and companion.

Let Brad and Sue’s story be a warning.

They had the best of intentions but ended up miserable.

What about you?

Are you fulfilling the role God desires you to play in your marriage?

NOTE:  This article was given by Lisa Banks but written by Jimmy and Karen Evans from “Marriage Today”.

REAL ROMANCE

THIS BOOK WASTES NO TIME in establishing its theme-in verse two the Shulamite woman says, ” Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth-for your love is better than wine.” The word love here means sexual love; it is mentioned four times in the book and two times in the first four verses. The idea here is that sexual love is better than any earthly celebration, any earthly party, any earthly drink, anything you can partake of. Sensual, erotic, sexual love is divinely designed to be celebrated between the husband and his wife and in a way where they are not ashamed that they can delight in that pleasure.

Two other significant themes appear in these first few verses. First, the woman says, “Your name is ointment poured forth, therefore the virgins love you”. What she’s saying is that he had a name that was above reproach in the marketplace. All the women knew Solomon. They respected and admired him. I think a man needs to know that his character is crucial if he is interested in seeing his wife respond to him sexually. As you become a man who is devoted to pursuing God, you become a man who is attractive to your wife.

For example, at the heart of godly character is humility. This means being teachable, responsive to God, and quick to admit to mistake and error and ask for forgiveness. A husband who is the opposite-arrogant, stubborn, rebellious-will not be attractive to his wife.

A second lesson appears in verse nine, when Solomon recognizes his bride’s need for affirmation and doesn’t hesitate to go beyond mere acceptance. He lavishes stunning praise on her, “I have compared you, my love, to my filly among Pharaoh’s chariots.”

Now, before you try that line on your wife, keep in mind the context! Solomon carefully painted a picture of his finest mare, most likely an Arabian beauty, a dark creature of unquestioned magnificence, the finest horse that money could buy. This exotic creature would have turned heads, maybe even caused a stampede, because of her exquisite beauty.

In other words, Solomon skillfully uses evocative poetic language to tell his wife how magnificent she is. But that’s not all! He quickly adds, “Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, your neck with chains of gold”. He not only accepts her and sees her as a woman of great loveliness, but he lavishes jewelry on her to accentuate her beauty.

Husband, when did you last spring for a new bracelet? A necklace? A ring? Like Solomon, you married someone extraordinary. Let her know how greatly you esteem her!

NOTE:  This article is from the book Family, Life, and Marriage Bible

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A BIBLICAL LOOK AT SEX

We live in a culture today in which sexual sin is both rampant and accepted.  The best way to respond to the cultural attitudes about sex is to remember what the Bible has to say about sex and to make that instruction a part of your marital life and family teaching.

Here is the truth about sex:

God created sex.  Not Hugh Hefner, not Dr. Phil or Dr. Ruth.  Genesis 1:27 tells us, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  “The creator of the universe stamped and embedded His image within us in a way that is somehow mysteriously tied to our sexuality.

Christians often get portrayed as backward, narrow-minded prudes.  But sexual intercourse in marriage glorifies God.  God felt no embarrassment when Adam and Eve had intercourse in the garden.  He didn’t put His hand over his eyes and shame them with a curt, “Now, cut it out!  I didn’t create you to do that!”  No, God designed the equipment and He blessed the union.  When God made them male and female, He called it “very good” (Gen.1:31).

Sex is for procreation in marriage. God created sex so that we can reproduce after our own kind. Genesis 1:28 tells us that God blessed the man and the woman and commanded them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

Sex is for intimacy in marriage. Genesis 4:1 says, “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived a son and bore Cain. “When it says that Adam “knew” Eve, it doesn’t mean he shook her hand. He had sexual relations with his wife, and she conceived. God intended us to become one flesh to draw us together. It’s a wonderful aspect of sex.

Sex is for pleasure in marriage. God approves of appropriate gestures of love, romance, and pleasure within marriage. Consider Proverbs 5:19: “As a loving hind and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times; be exhilarated with her love.” God said it. He also wrote an entire book of the Bible about sexual love in marriage, the Song of Solomon.

Obviously, God is not down on sexual pleasure in marriage. On the contrary, that is the only kind of sexual pleasure He sees as good and blesses!

NOTE:  This article is from the book: Family Life and Marriage Bible by Dennis and Barbara Rainy

NOTE: Daily there is a new post to help your marriage succeed

WHAT MAKES YOUR SPOUSE MISERABLE

One of the most important needs in your spouse’s life is to feel important and significant!

Lack of significance is a primary source of emotional pain.

The definition of importance is greatness of worth and influence; significant; needed; special.

Eph.2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works…”

Do you have hindrances that keep you from being yourself?

We all have certain people that we feel comfortable being around.

Those people put us in our comfort zone and we can act whatever way we want and feel we will be accepted and appreciated.

CASE AND POINT:  My husband and I don’t go to all the church activities like picnics, parties, etc.  As soon as we walk in, things go a little quiet and we feel that everyone becomes uncomfortable.  I want to tell them not to be uncomfortable because we spill food, trip, call people by the wrong names and burp!

Your spouse will avoid people and situations when there is the risk of failure or rejection just like you would.

That means that your spouse needs your love and encouragement.

Misery will enter your spouse’s life if they feel they have no value, purpose or significance.

God is the one who placed in your spouse a hunger for significance and to be important.

The Holy Spirit is here to fulfill the hunger to be important but God also gave you to your spouse to do that also.

Gods word says that He created a wife for Adam to meet his need for companionship and understanding.

You are his “Helpmeet”!

You are his companion, his cheerleader, and his friendly friend!

And DON’T FORGET IT!!

I didn’t say it!

God said it in Genesis and Malachi 2.

Get out those “pom poms” the game is on!

When Adam fell, it robbed our spouse of their self-worth and he is now on a continual search for significance.

If your spouse’s parents were not lovable or protective of them, your spouses need for significance may be of the utmost importance.

Your spouse will need time to change along with your encouragement, God’s word, and the power of the Holy Ghost.

Christ died for us and exchanged His life for our life.

That is how important you and your spouse are to Him.

He wants you to represent Him to your spouse.

It is your divine appointment!

Don’t miss out on your purpose and significance in life.

It is of the utmost importance!

NOTE:  Daily there is a new post to help your marriage succeed.