Bible Verses: Marriage

Hi all, we are back with our hearts and minds set to go even deeper into this marriage study. Looking forward to growing with you. This week we will pick up a few rules and some redemptive instruction from Jimmy Evans, a wonderful marriage counselor that Jared and I have been listening to for years. . . we highly recommend his studies and his ministry marriagetoday.org. Moving on I pray that God continues to move our hearts closer to Himself  and our spouses.

Redemption: What does this mean??? I dunno I will give a "Nicole" dictionary answer not to be replaced with the Biblical answer please! Redemption in our marriage has meant not doing what we sometimes want to do, not saying what we sometimes want to say, and instead doing or saying the opposite of what we feel at that moment. The biggest exercise of self control I have endured is marriage. You cannot simply always state your mind or you end up in a loveless, negative, accusatory marriage. . . or it least that is what I have found. So in a sense redemption seeks to urge us towards self control flowing out of a love for the other person. . . you know that love that you may not feel right at the moment when they do something that irritates you the worst. . . the love that started your union, the love that continues your connection, the love that Christ sweeps over you in the moments of greatest weakness. That's all I got.!!!Your turn share with us what redemption has meant to your marriage.

Jimmy Evans highlights some reasons why we should redeem our spouse these come from the book , Our Secret Paradise yes this book is legit, Jared and I do not have a perfect marriage far from it actually, but we do have a secret paradise. . . now that you are all rolling your eyes or hoping I move on... Here are his reasons to redeem:

"1. We owe a debt of gratitude to Jesus"
My interpretation: If you do not want to redeem due to their actions, then redeem because you love Jesus, redeem because you seek His will over your own. Redeem because He first loved you.

"2. Redemptive behavior characterizes disciples of Jesus"
My interpretation: If every time I get in a fight with Jared I offer a wordly response what makes me any different than the world? What makes me a disciple? A wonderful discipleship if not the most important one takes place in the home, and it witnessed by your children. Anyone can be nice to strangers, co-workers, church members, but it takes a real follower of Christ to redeem when you have been hurt by the person who pledged to love you forever. Yes I said it "When you have been hurt." because you will be. We are all sinners who have fallen short, we hurt others, they hurt us, it is a cycle that will one day be broken but not in this life. So we should not be shocked when we are offended or hurt because we too have a plank in the eye. . .so to speak. Anyhow perhaps humility is what is required, loving someone because you see past the plank, you love the one who created them, you want the best for them, and to prove that the actual definition of love is true. True love . . . takes no offense, keeps no record, and never fails"

"3. Redemption is the Only Response That Creates a Lasting Solution"
My interpretation: I have tried every solution in the book peeps and the only one that works. . . the only one that lasts is redemption. Why? It strengthens the bond of marriage rather than taking something away. It offers an approach that will in the end build up the other person and the marriage.

I pray that these tools help each of us as we approach our own marriages. Stay tuned next week for a continuation of this topic on Redemption with some rules that help define how to Redeem within our marriages.