Challenge #43

Gooooood morning everyone!!!

Straight away into yesterday's follow up. Much like a house, marriage is something that you build with your spouse. You determine what type of foundation it is built upon, and what will be used to make it stand. Everything about it is determined by you and your spouse: the structure, what goes into it, and especially how much time and effort is dedicated to ensuring its strength and security. I've heard many times, in many ways that whatever you invest in: whatever you put your time, your money, your effort into - those are the things that are important to you. I encourage you all to invest in your marriages. Put your time, your money, your effort into your marriage. Put your determination in, put willingness in, put in sacrifice and selflessness. But most MOST MOST importantly, you have to have a solid foundation. Your marriage, like a house, has to be built on the rock, not on shaky ground or sinking sand.

Think of the great pyramids. How were they built so large and so high and why are they still around today? Because of their huge, massive foundations. Can we learn nothing from The Three Little Pigs? I think we can. So what is "the rock" that marriage must be built on? It is God. I've heard it said and it is true: the absolute best thing that you could ever do for your marriage is to become a devoted follower of Jesus. Why? Why is that? Because God has already shown us how to love. He has already demonstrated His love for us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. To love unconditionally and self-sacrificially takes the Spirit of God. We are not able to do this without His help. We may feign it for a short time on our own, but there is no way that we could maintain such stamina for the long term without God. Learning to love God will teach you to love your spouse. It is His love within you that will love an imperfect person like your spouse.

"Jesus said it was to our advantage that he go to the Father, because he would send God's Holy Spirit (the "Helper" or "Comforter," the Third Person of the Trinity) to lead us, show us his ways, and to empower us to represent him to the world. (See John 14:26) As two people build a relationship with each other, it is essential that they both yield to the Holy Spirit and allow him to lead them in every facet of their marriage."

Today's challenge is to create a "blueprint" of what you want your marriage to look like. Include the aspects that are important to you and share this with your spouse. Ask if there is anything that they would like to change about/include in the blueprint or encourage them to create their own so you can come together and compare notes. What are the differences? What are the similarities? How can you work together to accomplish building the strong marriage that you both desire?

Matthew 7:24-27

 ²⁴Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
 ²⁵And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
 ²⁶And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
 ²⁷And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.