Tired
Are you tired in the daily grind? Does it overflow into your marriage? When we become tired in our daily lives and don’t get enough rest, we will start to see a deteriorating in the make up of our marriage. I know we get really busy with life, work, obligations at church, children, keeping up the home inside and out, and all of the lists that we need to finish. When we get overloaded, we become tired, and our attitudes can change.
Attitudes
When we are tired and worn out from schedule that is too busy, our attitudes can change for the worse. Words come out more sharply, we can miss what our spouse is trying to communicate. We are more irritated from lack of sleep and rest. Loving our spouse, means our attitudes should come out of the fruit of the Spirit, not the works of the flesh. This may mean we need to adjust our attitudes to be pleasing to God and our spouse.
Rest
Rest in the free dictionary has several meanings. This one describes it best with our topic: To cease motion, work, or activity, especially in order to become refreshed. We all need to rest. It is so important to get good rest, to take time to refresh, to become renewed, for ourselves and for our marriage.
Refreshing
I love the idea of a get away for a day trip, a long weekend, or even a vacation! Our marriages all need refreshing, we need it personally and together as a couple. Some people are extroverts and some are introverts. We all need to get alone, and with our spouse, and find ways to refresh our spirit and soul. It is a time of replenishing us!!
Ideas
Schedules can take over your life! Are you needing a break? A time to get away, or even just an activity to do for you and your spouse? Start by making a list together! Keep it and visit it often!! We like to take a day trip and just drive, maybe stopping for dinner or even just an ice cream. Other ideas are: reading a book, take a bath, a long walk, going to a state park, taking a nap, playing a game, sitting in the sun can do so much for you too!!
Just Staying Home
Ok, so I am an extrovert by nature, and my husband is probably more an introvert, but…. I love to be home!!! We both love people and being at events, church, parties, but we also love being at home. Staying home is a time of rest and refreshing no matter what your personality type is, because it’s a place to let down your guard, and be with the one you love! I will say having a clean home and making it inviting helps to make this a place to retreat together!
Resting In Jesus
So, I say all of this to say, it all starts and ends with Jesus!! If I try to do any of the above without prayer, the word, and time with my first love, then all of this falls short. I need Jesus to rest in and to refresh me, to get my attitude right, to make my relationship right with my husband, to feel strengthened. If I make my husband first in my life, and vice versa, we lose something in the marriage. We lose what makes a marriage what God intended it to be. So we have to have Jesus!! He is our foundation, strong tower, our restorer, our refreshing, and our beginning and ending in our marriage!
Prayer
Our prayer for you today and this week is that you find a place of rest and refreshing in Jesus first, then with each other. We all need to unplug, to find a time to just be outside, to be together with no other huge activity, to spend a day at home with no plans, just being together and having fun with each other! Spend some time alone first if needed and then come together to find that special spark that makes you who you are together! If you have babies, as a friend to take them for a couple of hours, but find a way to rest and refresh in your marriage!
Scriptures
Monday: Psalm 127:2 says, “[It is] vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: [for] so he giveth his beloved sleep.” Be careful what you fill your life with, make sure you get rest for your soul!
Tuesday: Matthew 11:29 says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” This is one of my favorite scriptures, we can learn from Jesus how to be meek and lowly in heart and receive rest!
Wednesday: Exodus 34:21 says, “Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.” God commanded a Sabbath day, a day of rest, because He rested one day as well, and He knows what is best for us!
Thursday: Isaiah 40:31 says, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” We all need a refreshing, sometimes getting in the great outdoors helps us to see and wait on the Lord.
Friday: Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” There are seasons in every part of life, and a time for rest.. Find ways to rest and refresh with your spouse!
Saturday: Psalms 4:8 says, “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.” Being at home we can find a place of rest and relaxing, knowing that if you have a place of prayer in your home, you can sleep in peace there because God keeps us safe!
Sunday: Matthew 11:28 says, “Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” My strength, rest, and refreshing ultimately comes from time spent with Jesus! Spend time today at the house of God and bring it home with you!
Contact
Please feel free to contact us at janene@happilyevermarried.org and share or 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!!!