Marriage and Family Meditations XXVIII
Psalm 104:34 May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the LORD.
Cornerstone Ministries Napa Valley
Healing Relationships Principles of Marriage
In every human relationship there is interaction that precedes from an inherent value an attitude, a judgment that reflects upon and qualifies that relationship. In marriage where husband and wife interact daily that relationship is a reflection of the attitudes and values of the man and the woman which is the wellspring of their responses to one another whether godly or ungodly.
Consider how the contrasting values, attitudes, and judgments, in these scripture verses might be affecting your marriage relationship, family, children, or Church relationships.
Ephesians 4:28 – 32 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
God reveals in these verses that “Corrupt words” (rotten, useless, valueless, talk) degrade those who listen, and “evil speaking”, (slanderous, injurious, godless talk) harms those who are involved in the relationship. All of these habits of communication proceed from hearts of bitterness, wrath, anger and or malice. The well spring (source) of our responses are either from a natural selfish heart, or transformed godly heart of one who is obediently following Jesus.
In the following passage in Galatians you will note that the sins of the mouth are listed right along with the biggies like murder, adultery, sorcery, idolatry, and drunkenness. Perhaps we should pay close attention to these passages and seek transformation and healing in the way we communicate.
Galatians 5: 16 – 26 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
In the Church relationships and in the Christian relationships of marriage and family it is important that we look at the fruits of our life and realize that what we have experienced and what we are experiencing is a direct reflection of our choice to live according to the flesh or according to the Spirit. If we are experiencing destructive hurtful behavior we must realize that we are choosing to indulge our fleshly nature. If we are experiencing healthy loving relationships we can be assured that we are walking after the Spirit.
May God grant that we would take God’s word seriously and build and heal our relationships by being faithful to live according to the Spirit not indulging the flesh and grieving the Spirit, but pleasing Him in all things, showing the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace,patience, kindness,goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Blessings and Honor and Glory are His! Maranatha – Love in Jesus Vince