When I first got Married, I wanted to be a “perfect wife”. I wanted to fit the mold of whatever my husband perceived as being awesome. I didn’t want the failures of my first marriage to follow me into my new marriage. In reality this was irrational thinking because I wasn’t the same person anymore. God had made me new, healed, and delivered me from most of those issues. There was one thing that did stem this behavior of “perfection”. This fear of failure in my marriage made me a man pleaser. I didn’t want to do things that didn’t please my husband even if it secretly made me uncomfortable. I am not one who enjoys conflict, but I had always been one to voice my opinion. If I ignored my feelings for too long, eventually I would explode! So now I’m walking around with offense and unforgiveness that my husband knows nothing about! Have you ever known someone was mad at you, but had no clue of why? Eventually those things that bother you will affect your behavior/attitude. You might be going through the motions but the care and love that you once did them with are absent. It’s really silly. He wasn’t walking around purposely trying to hurt me. It was little things like he didn’t notice how much time that I took cleaning up the house. He didn’t tell me that the meal that I cooked was delicious, or he left the lotion out instead of putting it back where it belonged. All minor things married people go through, but he didn’t know what bothered me because I didn’t say anything. When we think of unforgiveness we tend to think of major issues like cheating or some form of abuse, but we must choose to forgive the “little” things daily. We must also not let our offenses harbor bitterness in our hearts. Those little things will eventually add up and make us sick. If a person has sinned against you (sometimes unknowingly) and you don’t forgive them, you also hold them in bondage of the offense. We cause sorrow to come and also open a door for the enemy to come in and cause more trouble.
2 Corinthians 2:7-11(NKJV)
7 so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. 8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. 9 For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. 10 Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one[a] for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Unforgiveness will also hinder our prayers and prevent God from forgiving us. We all stand in need of forgiveness daily. God gives new mercy daily and so should we!
Mark 11:25-26 (NKJV)
Forgiveness and Prayer
25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
The truth is we all have issues in our flesh and will never fit the mold of perfection that is set by a standard of a man. Our purpose in life is to be the best form of ourselves that we can be by letting God grow us in His Word according to our own calling. It is our uniqueness that drew our spouse to us and our marriage will thrive on us working together according to our own strengths and balancing each other out. Don’t let the little foxes spoil the vine (Song of Solomon 2:15). Communicate and forgive. Don’t let minor offenses be fuel for an explosion that can blow up your marriage. The enemy walks boldly through the door of unforgiveness, but we shut the door in his face with forgiveness. Forgiveness is a weapon that will bring joy and allow our prayers to be answered. Let’s use our weapon and forgive just as Jesus forgave us.
Ephesians 4:32(NKJV)
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Father, we thank you for the weapon of forgiveness. Forgive us for holding on to offense and opening a door for the enemy to come into our marriage. Help us to forgive even the little things and not let them build into a bomb that can destroy our marriage. Thank You for new mercies every day. Help us mirror You by showing the same to our spouse. We shut the door of unforgiveness and choose to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving towards one another. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!
2 Corinthians 2:7-11(NKJV)
7 so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. 8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. 9 For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. 10 Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one[a] for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Unforgiveness will also hinder our prayers and prevent God from forgiving us. We all stand in need of forgiveness daily. God gives new mercy daily and so should we!
Mark 11:25-26 (NKJV)
Forgiveness and Prayer
25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
The truth is we all have issues in our flesh and will never fit the mold of perfection that is set by a standard of a man. Our purpose in life is to be the best form of ourselves that we can be by letting God grow us in His Word according to our own calling. It is our uniqueness that drew our spouse to us and our marriage will thrive on us working together according to our own strengths and balancing each other out. Don’t let the little foxes spoil the vine (Song of Solomon 2:15). Communicate and forgive. Don’t let minor offenses be fuel for an explosion that can blow up your marriage. The enemy walks boldly through the door of unforgiveness, but we shut the door in his face with forgiveness. Forgiveness is a weapon that will bring joy and allow our prayers to be answered. Let’s use our weapon and forgive just as Jesus forgave us.
Ephesians 4:32(NKJV)
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Father, we thank you for the weapon of forgiveness. Forgive us for holding on to offense and opening a door for the enemy to come into our marriage. Help us to forgive even the little things and not let them build into a bomb that can destroy our marriage. Thank You for new mercies every day. Help us mirror You by showing the same to our spouse. We shut the door of unforgiveness and choose to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving towards one another. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!