"Marriages grow sour when spouses engage in surgery casually, carelessly, or without the informed consent of the patient. But marriage becomes sweet when spouses, recognizing that each one will probably need corrective surgery from time to time, give one another permission to wield the scalpel as needed." When Sinners Say I Do, Dave Harvey
Can I trust my spouse with the knife? What if it really hurts? Maybe it would be better to live with the disease!
Trust is a hard thing.
I have to trust not only my spouse but the God who brought that one into my life. That imperfect vessel can actually be used of God to bring about perfection in my life. I want to find reasons not to listen or let my wife "cut" me open. I want to determine when the surgery is needed and how it is to be administered. I want to be the one who says, "Trust me, I know What I'm Doing!"
Yet if I can't trust my spouse in the spiritual realm at times than how can we grow in ways that truly reflects Jesus and not some religious subculture? The one another passages are as relevant to our marriages as they are to the body of Christ.
"Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." Ephesians 4:15,16
We can't do that unless we can trust each other, unless we are willing to listen and believe that the Sovereign God can and will work through others he brings into our lives.
It's not so much that we have to listen to our spouses as we do the Lord when he says, "Trust Me I know What I'm doing!"
2 comments:
Great post pastor Jerry. And how right you are. Scott truly knows me better than I do at times and is most often dead on when he calls me out on a sin or sinful attitude. I try to deny it at first and typically don't like to hear it, but upon reflection have found thus far, he was right and am thankful that we have the kind of relationship where we can speak the truth in love. I have grown so much in my walk and in my understand of God thanks to my husband. His wisdom, discussions, leadership, and honesty have been tools God has used to deepen my walk.
I really like your blog and plan to bookmark it and come back!!
Thanks Crystal, it's been fun sharing some thoughts and experiences so any feedback is encouraging.
We still miss our days at SPEP!
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