Once you become married to one another it is important that you realize that you marry into each others financial lives as well. Debt that you carried becomes your spouses debt and vice versa. Everything becomes "ours" whether it is good or bad. You must work through this together as one.
Make it a priority to come together in agreement on how the debt will be handled and paid off as one. You will have to sacrafice which leads to obedience to God. Proverbs 22:7 says, " The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender." Therefore, it is imperative that you strive to pay off all debt. You should be a servant to God not a creditor.
Have a meeting where you can come up with a systematic plan of getting rid of the debt so that you do not have to be a servant. Learn how to pay for things with cash rather than credit. I know that there are some things such as your house that you most likely can not pay with cash, but the general rule should be to use cash only.
The Bible says in Matthew 6:33,"Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you." This can not and will not happen unless you seek God first. So be sure to pray over you financial situation and invite the Holy Spirit to lead you over your finances.
God can not "add unto you" until he first knows that you are a good steward over what he has already given to you.
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
What To Do When You Fall Out of Love
Unfortuanately, I hear many married couples say that they have simply fallen out of love with their spouse. This is very sad and although difficult to come back from it can be done. This happens because although you give plenty of lip service to the fact that we have unconditional love for our spouse, we really do not. We may want to believe it, but don't actually believe in our hearts.
We are still prone to the world's definition of love, which states that we love according to how we are treated, their ways, how they make us feel etc. Unconditional love in it's purest form doesn't take any of these into consideration. Also notice in the Bible, no where does God command the wife to love her husband. However in Ephesians 5 God commands husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church.
Here are a couple of suggestions to get the love back in your marriage.
1. Get back to the romance. Even if it seems strange or uncomfortable, it will begin to feel natural as time goes on.
2. Get in your Bibles, together and study every scripture on marriage according to God.
3. Fellowship with other married couples that are righteous in their conduct, character and commitment.
4. Spend time together as a couple and continue dating.
Listen to your spirit and invite the Holy Spirit into your marriage to guide, direct, teach you how to have the instition of marriage as God intended.
We are still prone to the world's definition of love, which states that we love according to how we are treated, their ways, how they make us feel etc. Unconditional love in it's purest form doesn't take any of these into consideration. Also notice in the Bible, no where does God command the wife to love her husband. However in Ephesians 5 God commands husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church.
Here are a couple of suggestions to get the love back in your marriage.
1. Get back to the romance. Even if it seems strange or uncomfortable, it will begin to feel natural as time goes on.
2. Get in your Bibles, together and study every scripture on marriage according to God.
3. Fellowship with other married couples that are righteous in their conduct, character and commitment.
4. Spend time together as a couple and continue dating.
Listen to your spirit and invite the Holy Spirit into your marriage to guide, direct, teach you how to have the instition of marriage as God intended.
Sometimes You Have To Let Your Spouse Fall
As hard as it is sometimes, as long as your spouse is not going to cause grave danger to your family you have to let them fall. God teaches throughout the Bible that we will fall from time to time because we are not perfect. We all know that Jesus was the only perfect man and we are continually being perfected.
Sometimes God is putting your spouse through something so that when he feels it is time He can bring them out of it. Then once they come out of it, they can see that only God can do it. Regardless of how much we love them, it is nothing in comparison to the way that God loves them.
Step back and allow God to work with them. When the come out of it, they will be much stronger as they build their relationship with the trinity of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
Let them know that you are there for them in the natural and that you will love them continuously with unconditional love. Let God be God.
Sometimes God is putting your spouse through something so that when he feels it is time He can bring them out of it. Then once they come out of it, they can see that only God can do it. Regardless of how much we love them, it is nothing in comparison to the way that God loves them.
Step back and allow God to work with them. When the come out of it, they will be much stronger as they build their relationship with the trinity of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
Let them know that you are there for them in the natural and that you will love them continuously with unconditional love. Let God be God.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Dealing With The Major Decisions
Throughout the course of life, there are times when you have to make major decisions that will affect your marriage. These definitely deserve time for deep conversation and time for each of you to come together in prayer both on your own and together.
There always should be a format that is used for these type of decisions.
1.) Seek counsel from the trinity.
Go to the trinity of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit first and foremost. Let them guide you in your final decision. Be careful of counsel from outside sources. If you do seek outside counsel be sure that it is Godly and not just someone else's opinion.
2.) Focus on the final outcome and not on the course, by counting the costs.
Be sure the outcome is what is best for your family and marriage in the long run. Just because the course looks attractive or fun, it may no be what is in the best interest of your family and marriage.
3.) Do not rush into anything.
These decisions take time to really consider and to put up in prayer. Make sure they are done in God's time and not your own. If you don't know what to do, then it is better to do nothing than to rush and do the wrong thing. God will tell you what to do when He wants you to do it.
Remember God is soverign and reveal what he wants to you, when you need it. You can't rush God. Matthew 7:24 teaches us to build our house on the rock of Jesus and your house will not fall."
There always should be a format that is used for these type of decisions.
1.) Seek counsel from the trinity.
Go to the trinity of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit first and foremost. Let them guide you in your final decision. Be careful of counsel from outside sources. If you do seek outside counsel be sure that it is Godly and not just someone else's opinion.
2.) Focus on the final outcome and not on the course, by counting the costs.
Be sure the outcome is what is best for your family and marriage in the long run. Just because the course looks attractive or fun, it may no be what is in the best interest of your family and marriage.
3.) Do not rush into anything.
These decisions take time to really consider and to put up in prayer. Make sure they are done in God's time and not your own. If you don't know what to do, then it is better to do nothing than to rush and do the wrong thing. God will tell you what to do when He wants you to do it.
Remember God is soverign and reveal what he wants to you, when you need it. You can't rush God. Matthew 7:24 teaches us to build our house on the rock of Jesus and your house will not fall."
Monday, June 8, 2009
My Spouse Is Not Saved
More often than not one spouse or the other becomes saved and baptized with the Holy Spirit at the same time. Everyone gives their salvation at different times as God continues to move in each one of us separately.
In 1 Peter 3:1 says, "Wives, be in subjection to your own husband, that, if any obey not the word, they may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives." This is especially true when wives are saved and baptized with the Holy Spirit prior to their husbands. It is not for the wives to continually preach to her husband. What wives see as trying to teach their husbands to bring them closer to the trinity, husbands will often see as nagging and will resist as a result.
It is better for wives to continue to be a credible witness as she gives glory to God. Husbands will respond when they see how the trinity lives within his wife. Be a example of how to live.
In Ephesians 5:24 it says, "So let the wives be to their own husbands in everything." So husbands, if you are saved and baptized with the Holy Spirit and your wife is not, continue to lead her as a man of God. Continue to be a credible witness and your life will give life to the seed that you plant.
Regardless of how your spouse acts, always continue to allow Jesus to live through you in your character, conduct, and commitment.
In 1 Peter 3:1 says, "Wives, be in subjection to your own husband, that, if any obey not the word, they may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives." This is especially true when wives are saved and baptized with the Holy Spirit prior to their husbands. It is not for the wives to continually preach to her husband. What wives see as trying to teach their husbands to bring them closer to the trinity, husbands will often see as nagging and will resist as a result.
It is better for wives to continue to be a credible witness as she gives glory to God. Husbands will respond when they see how the trinity lives within his wife. Be a example of how to live.
In Ephesians 5:24 it says, "So let the wives be to their own husbands in everything." So husbands, if you are saved and baptized with the Holy Spirit and your wife is not, continue to lead her as a man of God. Continue to be a credible witness and your life will give life to the seed that you plant.
Regardless of how your spouse acts, always continue to allow Jesus to live through you in your character, conduct, and commitment.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Your Trials and Tribulations
Each one of you are going to have a certain number of trials and tribulations that you will go through not only as husband and wife, but also as women and men. Remember even though marriage was created by God, he created men, then women, then marriage. Therefore it is important to remember that before we are married, we are men and women first. That means that we will have trials and tribulations that pertain to us in that manner.
What matters is how we handle them in our marriage when they do come, because they will come. It is just a matter of time. With every decision you make, you decide your focus. It is up to you to either give God the glory and ask the Holy Spirit to guide and direct your footsteps or to lean onto your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 says, "Trust in the Lord will all thine heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths."
Never go to your spouse about something that is a trial or tribulation without taking it to God first. Listen to what God tells you. If you are obedient to the word of God, He will give the words, mannerisms, and guidance in how to approach your spouse so that the trial or tribulation can be resolved in a manner in which it gives God the glory.
What matters is how we handle them in our marriage when they do come, because they will come. It is just a matter of time. With every decision you make, you decide your focus. It is up to you to either give God the glory and ask the Holy Spirit to guide and direct your footsteps or to lean onto your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 says, "Trust in the Lord will all thine heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths."
Never go to your spouse about something that is a trial or tribulation without taking it to God first. Listen to what God tells you. If you are obedient to the word of God, He will give the words, mannerisms, and guidance in how to approach your spouse so that the trial or tribulation can be resolved in a manner in which it gives God the glory.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Newsflash: You are not God
I think we all know someone that has said over and over again, I wish that my spouse would....or he/she should.....or the infamous if only.... . All of these statements are something that each and every one of has said at some point in our lives concerning someone else.
Newsflash.. I know that this may come to you as a shock, but you are not God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit. Ezekiel 36:27, " I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statues, and you will keep My judgements and do them." No where in the Bible does it say that we are the Holy Spirit. So where do we get the audacity to think that we can do what God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit can do in someone else's life.
The scripture teaches us that the Holy Spirit is put within us and we are to follow the commandments, statutes, and judgements according to God. 1Corinthians15:51, " We shall be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible."
Stop trying to play God and change your spouse. God is God all by his self, he doesn't need or want our help in changing someone else. He has a plan for each and every one of us. When we interfere in God's plan that He has for our spouse then God must go to plan B. Focus on what God is telling you to change about you so that God can use you. Once you begin to change, your spouse will see the change in you and then they can begin to change according to God's will.
Allow God to be the directer, producer, author of your life and as you live as a credible witness. You can only be a witness according to the conduct, character, and commitment of yourself. Stop trying to play God and change your spouse. You don't even know your own future, so how can you expect to know your spouse's future?
Newsflash.. I know that this may come to you as a shock, but you are not God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit. Ezekiel 36:27, " I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statues, and you will keep My judgements and do them." No where in the Bible does it say that we are the Holy Spirit. So where do we get the audacity to think that we can do what God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit can do in someone else's life.
The scripture teaches us that the Holy Spirit is put within us and we are to follow the commandments, statutes, and judgements according to God. 1Corinthians15:51, " We shall be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible."
Stop trying to play God and change your spouse. God is God all by his self, he doesn't need or want our help in changing someone else. He has a plan for each and every one of us. When we interfere in God's plan that He has for our spouse then God must go to plan B. Focus on what God is telling you to change about you so that God can use you. Once you begin to change, your spouse will see the change in you and then they can begin to change according to God's will.
Allow God to be the directer, producer, author of your life and as you live as a credible witness. You can only be a witness according to the conduct, character, and commitment of yourself. Stop trying to play God and change your spouse. You don't even know your own future, so how can you expect to know your spouse's future?
Friday, January 23, 2009
Make the Love Decision
Love is not a feeling it is a decision. Feelings change daily, if you have made the decision to love then your feelings become obsolete. You are commanded to love according to God. In 1Corinthians 13:4,"Love suffers long and is kind, does not envy, love does not parade itself. Is not puffed up, does not behave seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in inquity, but rejoices in the truth....love never fails."
We are to love each other the way that God loves us. Hebrews 13:5 says," I will never leave you nor forsake you." We are to love each other regardless of how we are treated. When you have a understanding of what true love is, everything else is a cheap substitute.
When you say the words, "I love you" to someone make sure they have meaning. To say them without meaning serves no merit. Marriage is not a contract to protect your rights. When you get married you give up your individual rights and everything that you have becomes your spouses and vice versa.
It is only God's love when it is lead by your decision. Jesus didn't worship emotions so neither should you. Learn how to forgive AND forget. In Romans 8:1 it states, " There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." If you are to be like Christ then you are not to condemn others.
Know that God is love and that you are to love like God.
We are to love each other the way that God loves us. Hebrews 13:5 says," I will never leave you nor forsake you." We are to love each other regardless of how we are treated. When you have a understanding of what true love is, everything else is a cheap substitute.
When you say the words, "I love you" to someone make sure they have meaning. To say them without meaning serves no merit. Marriage is not a contract to protect your rights. When you get married you give up your individual rights and everything that you have becomes your spouses and vice versa.
It is only God's love when it is lead by your decision. Jesus didn't worship emotions so neither should you. Learn how to forgive AND forget. In Romans 8:1 it states, " There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." If you are to be like Christ then you are not to condemn others.
Know that God is love and that you are to love like God.
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