Bearing Good Fruit In Marriage
Synopsis
Let’s look at a familiar scenario: A young couple gets married, and starts to have children. They believe they are doing good, as work, children and life seems to be going well, but they never really invest in their marriage. Having time for work, going to events, sports, family vacations, etc. Sometime later in life, maybe 2, 5, 10, or 20 years, they realize they never made time for each other, or God. Things just kept getting in the way. Work needed more, the kids, activities, they were just too busy.
Future
Now this same couple, who was so in love and thought they had it all, realize they were living a life full of activities and with no substance. They didn’t make time for God, even though they went to church, and they didn’t make time for each other. Not sowing anything to the order God has set up, so they weren’t bearing good fruit. This couple was bearing bad fruit.
Under The Surface
The couple who seemed to have it all, in reality, under the surface, was living a lie. He was buying toys, and focused on success and more things, he started spending more time at the office getting away from his roots as a christian man. She was lonely and with the kids in all kinds of activities, started looking elsewhere for love. The wife ended up having an affair and started spiraling out of control. The kids just kept looking for things, friends, and fun to fill a void of absent parents. Bad influences filled that void. You know how this story turns out? It is a sad, and tragic tale of what happens daily in America.
What If?
What if this couple had not lost sight of the order God had set? What if they had set boundaries and focused on God and their marriage? This story would have turned out very differently. When we do things Gods way, we see blessing and abundant life come forth! We see good fruit in our marriage!
Good Fruit
We need to bear good fruit in our walk with God, and then we see it flow down to our marriage and children. Where do we find good fruit? The word of God. We need to have the fruit of the Spirit!! When we are filled with His Spirit, we can have the fruit of the Spirit! How do we attain this fruit? Reading the word and prayer! Fasting, asking for forgiveness, being intentional daily!
Marriage
In my marriage, I must be intentional to lay down my flesh, my wants, needs and desires. I then look at my spouse, and find out what they are needing, and meet the need! Being a help meet to him!! This doesn’t mean I don’t take care of myself. First, starting with prayer and the word, then I go to the next in God’s order, my husband. Taking care of what he needs to make our marriage better. I can’t expect him to do all of the changing. My heart must be willing to be responsible for my fruit!
Repentance
How do I implement this into my daily life with my spouse? I start with repentance, I move to forgiveness, I extend mercy, I try again! This is not an overnight process!! We have to do this over and over, and not just once a day! Repentance should be daily and maybe even 70 x 70 times!! When I allow God to work on me, through repentance, I bring forth fruit that is worthy!! Marriage starts to turn down the right path, and I see good fruit in my life and my marriage!
Prayer
Our prayer for you is that you take the steps to invest, encourage, move forward, or even save your marriage! You can do this, it’s not too late if both of you will be willing. God can do anything! God is for you!!
Scriptures:
Monday: Matthew 7:26-27 says, “And 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: And 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.” Pray you put God first and build your marriage on the Rock not the sand.
Tuesday: Galatians 6:8 says, “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” When we sow to the wrong things we will reap corruption. Pray God helps you today to sow to God’s order and His kingdom so you can have a blessed marriage!
Wednesday: Matthew 6:19 says, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:” This couple was more about the here and now and what they could have than relationship! Pray God helps you to stay focused on what is the real treasures in your life!
Thursday: John 10:10 says, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.” There is a very real enemy to your marriage, family and soul. Pray God open your eyes to what is keeping you from His abundant life He has for you!
Friday: Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Meditate on the fruit and pray God helps you to bear it!
Saturday: Genesis 2:18 says, “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” Pray God help you to be a good help meet to your spouse!
Sunday: Matthew 3:8 says, “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:” Pray God helps you to bear fruit that is worthy of repentance, that you don’t depend on your religion, but that you are truly repentant to God! This will take you to a whole new level in marriage as you die to your flesh!!
Contact
Please feel free to contact us at janene@happilyevermarried.org and share and read more blog posts at http://happilyevermarried.org
Thank you for investing in your marriage and you too can have a happily ever married marriage!!
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