Patience For Change
Meeting The Challenge
We all encounter times of change in our lives that sometimes push us to our limit! The same is true when you are married, the challenge is, to meet these new challenges with grace and patience as you do it together!
Types
If you want to make things simple you can categorize the challenges into two types. One is an exciting, new, and adventurous challenge, that is the preferred of the two. The second one, is harrowing, hard, and could be one that is difficult to tread through. Both, are things you encounter, but it’s how you deal with them that sets you up for wining or failure.
Giving Grace
Giving grace to your spouse in any challenge can be trying, but when you do it is a blessing that brings peace! Grace gives them kindness they don’t deserve. We all deal with stress, loss, new jobs, children, and life differently. So grace says, even if they aren’t acting the way I would like, I will be kind, and love them through this transition.
Patience
Patience is the so called “dreaded fruit of the Spirit” that many say, “don’t pray for patience.” Not because they don’t want it, but because, most believe when you pray for it, you will be very tested in it! When we crucify our flesh daily, we will see the impatience in our lives start to fade. Although, it is a daily process, we can work towards slowing down and giving our spouse the same room we want when mistakes are made.
Forgiving Easily
Forgiving easily is a wonderful attribute for your marriage, especially when you meet up with a change in your life! We have always heard when you are sick, tired, or stressed you should try and avoid dealing with touchy subjects. The same is true when a big change is going on in your life. All these add to the new challenge and forgiveness makes it work!
Speaking With Kindness
We have had lots of changes, new challenges, good and bad in our married life, and speaking with kindness goes a long way to say, I am patient with my spouse. A soft answer turns away wrath! You can be going through a transition and be short with one another. Or you can choose to be patient and speak with kindness.
Praying Consistently
Praying for your spouse will enable you to be the kind of wife or husband you want to be, and to extend patience during times of change! Prayer not only changes them, but, more importantly, it changes you! I know when I pray and get my emotions under control, I tend to give grace, extend patience, forgive easily, and speak with kindness!
Prayer
Our prayer for you today is that you will meet change whatever the challenge with a humble heart ready to give your spouse the patience you would want. We are all so different and need time to sort things out without feeling like we have to have it all together at all times! Love your spouse by speaking kind words and giving grace!
Scripture
Monday: Psalm 61:2 says, “From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” With Gods help we can meet the challenge!
Tuesday: Romans 5:3 says “And not only [so], but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;” When we go through trials it works patience into our lives!
Wednesday: Proverbs 11:17 says, “The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but [he that is] cruel troubleth his own flesh.” When you extend grace and mercy to your spouse you do good to your own soul!
Thursday: 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.” Longsuffering is patience in our understanding.. pray today for a heart that can suffer long with your spouse!
Friday: Ephesians 4:32 says “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Learning to forgive easily will bring peace into your home!
Saturday: Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” When we are careful with our words we give grace!
Sunday: 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray without ceasing.” What a simple yet powerful scripture! When we pray without ceasing we keep our eyes on Jesus and will see ourselves and our spouse change!
Contact
Please feel free to contact me at janene@happilyevermarried.org or post and share more blog posts at happilyevermarried.org/
Thank you for investing in your marriage and you too can have a happily ever married marriage!