Ripping Out My Heart

This year we have heard of three marriages of friends breaking down. Each time it has knocked our world sideways and left us emotionally winded. We don't know any of the situations well enough to comment on them (and if we did this certainly wouldn't be the place to do it). I hardly know what to pray to be honest. What I do know is that God's grace is sufficient to reconcile and repair and restore any relationship. I realise when you are in the middle of relationship breakdown it doesn't feel like it - but the blood of the cross is enough to deal even with the pain and the pride of a broken marriage.

What I want to say is protect your marriage. Have one night of the week as a date night - and guard it with your life. Make time to talk together about important things. Learn how to lose arguments. Learn to have the penultimate word!

Realise that just as your spouse has annoying habits so do you! Learn not to get annoyed by them - love covers over a multitude of sins.

There is joy and delight in giving yourself up to your spouse. Marriages turn sour when spouses look to their own needs instead of their spouse's. Three great dangers arise. Neglect, unfaithfulness and abuse. Too easily one leads on to the other. But when we are deliberate in loving and blessing our spouse we find joy in their joy.

It isn't easy to think of others first, especially after a long and trying day. But as we put our eyes on Jesus we see the one who loved us and gave his life up for us to make us holy - so we find strength to love as we have been loved and forgive as we have been forgiven.

Protect your marriage. And if you find it is in trouble - know you are not on your own - we all have trouble in our marriages - but there are people who are ready to listen and help - and there is a Lord with grace and power enough to repair what is broken.