Have you seen couples married for over 15 years? One thing that strikes you is that they begin to look alike. There’s just something that makes them closer and begins to look alike. Well, it’s not a fast and hard rule that couples who have been together for years should look alike.
I guess that is the reason why the bible says, the two shall become one flesh. I guess they truly become one flesh in the real sense of the word. The truth is that, if you want to remain close and knitted together, there are some things you should be doing on a regular basis. It keeps you together.
I would try and mention 10 of those things. You can add up to this list but just make sure in your own relationship you have found what it is that draws you closer to each other.
1. Eat together on one plate or on the dinner table. This may not be suitable for every couple. Some may not like it, but this has helped keep couples together.
2. Go to church together in the same car. It may be a time of bonding for couples who may have been busy throughout the week and have more than 1 car.
3. Go to the same church and have the same pastor and mentor. They hear and drink from the same spiritual source and hear the same instructions about fasting, giving which normally could cause discord in marriage.
4. Have same friends, go to the same functions and ceremonies together. Couples stay closer when they unwind together by having the same friends and attend parties together.
5. They sleep in the same room on the same bed. Couples are known to look alike the more they sleep together and share the same room.
6. They have regular intercourse together. This is known to bind them together and is the real thing that makes them get closer and look alike.
7. They Laugh, dance, sing and play games together. The more couples recreate together, the more the bond between them gets stronger.
8. They overcome their challenges together. When couples face problems and pass through challenging situations together, it draws them closer to each other.
9. When couples bathe together. It is a form of being naked and not ashamed, it draws couples together.
10. Study their bibles together and pray together. When couples do spiritual activities together they tend to grow fond of each other and grow to look alike.
It is like the triangle of marriage. God is at the tip or top, husband and wife are at the two sides. The more they go after God, the closer they become. The more they draw away from God, the more they grow apart.
Make God or godly principles your priority and you will grow closer as a couple.
God bless your marriage
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY As couples, we grow closer as the day goes by.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, help us to do things that will draw us closer to each other.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Gen 2:25 ‘And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.”
There are several gateways to a man’s spirit. These gateways are like large open doors through which good or bad spirits can access our inner man. I believe it is to this intent that the scripture says:
Pro 4:23 (KJV) Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
The heart has to be kept with security systems that would prevent unsolicited access into your heart. The gateways in every man include the mouth gate, the eye gate, the ear gate, and nose gate.
This morning, I want to say a few words as it relates to the eye gate and relationships.
The Bible actually talks a lot about being cautious with what we see. One such scripture can be found in:
Job 31:1 (KJV) I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
Job had to come to a point in his life and he realized his eyes are going to get him into serious trouble. So he dealt with his eyes in order to deal with his thoughts. His eye gate was feeding his thought life and those thoughts were far from healthy.
He knew if he was going to be okay, he had to make decisions. And that is what you will need to do too, you will need to make decisions!
Jesus even elaborated more here:
Mat 5:28 (KJV) But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Just having a deliberate lustful look, Jesus said it’s the same as an adulterous sin.
What do you do?
You see, the first look is not always a sin or any trouble. It is the second, third and perpetual look that becomes the problem. It’s when you start thinking on or meditating on an unhealthy sight that issues begin to rear their heads. The solution is simple, like Job, you must make a decision and deliberately refuse to look at whatever is going to feed your weaknesses.
I pray that today will be a great day in your life, even as you make those decisions.
Be blessed!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am deliberate with what I see
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Ask for the grace not to feed your weakness.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Job 31:1 (MSG)”I made a solemn pact with myself never to undress a girl with my eyes.
As the month comes to an end, it’s a good idea to review how you spent it. Doing this helps you make better decisions in life. It also helps you know what you have accomplished in different areas of your life and how to improve.
Imagine just living life without improving. These improvements can only happen when you have periodic reviews of your life and time spent.
The review can come weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, or yearly, so that you can examine yourself and make better decisions.
Ps 90:12 (NIV)Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
A heart of wisdom is only possible when you number your days aright. This is achieved with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Don’t think only adults do this. You will reach adulthood someday and developing this habit early will positively impact your life. Not only does it show how well you fared, but it also helps you plan ahead for the new month. By so doing, you make better decisions and move forward in your life.
Look at the way message translation puts it.
Ps 90:12 (MSG) Oh! Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well!
When you take proper inventory of several segments of your life, you will know how to live well.
Make it a habit to take a review of your life from time to time, and then take better decisions from the review.
Tomorrow we will look at how to do this in every area of your life. Don’t miss it!
God bless!
Prayer: Lord, guide me as I take stock of this month. Help me see where I need to improve on in the coming month, and help me to be sincere enough to accept it. Help me make better decisions LORD. Amen.
Action point: List out areas of your life and start to review them. Tell your friends about it too. Involve your parents too, so they help out.
Declaration: God helps me to take stock of my life in Jesus name.
Opposite, they say, will always attract. That has been found to be true, always and at all times. God is a God of varieties. God’s own way of ensuring that you don’t get so bored in marriage is that opposite will attract.
The reason you fell in love most of the time is because there is something you saw that you don’t have.
God in His wisdom, sovereignty and divine love, intends that your spouse will have strength in the area where you have weaknesses, and you will have strength in the area where your spouse has weaknesses.
The strengths versus weaknesses tango will then create a balance, so that the children can be properly and emotionally developed.
Won’t it really be very odd for husband and wife to have same weaknesses?
So opposite will attract. Your lover will reason and think differently from you, mostly.
These opposites that attract, however, will also now be the very thing that will cause irritations when the love euphoria dies down.
It is at this point that most relationships get broken, because they did not understand why they have been so different, without knowing that the very difference is what they need to create a beautiful balance and be able to have a matured marital experience.
So, do not despise your differences in any way, rather celebrate those differences because that is what will bring balance into the relationship and eventually your marriage.
The opposite ways will definitely bring different opinions, reasonings and conclusions, but you must be matured enough not to mute your spouse but rather create an enabling environment for expressions in the relationship and marriage.
Work on your strengths by maximizing them. Work on your weaknesses by minimizing them!
May God grant you more understanding.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am different. I am unique. I am special.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, help me to accept the fact that we are made to be different.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. 2 Corinthians 10:12 KJV
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Study a book on temperament to know why you are different
Its possible to enjoy your marriage. In marriage, there are pressures. Pressures of raising a family, of taking care of your spouse, of taking care of the children, of paying bills, and many more. All these are coupled with pressures from work and career. If one is not careful, marriage will be one strenuous, stressful and tiring adventure.
It is deliberately then, that you have to decide to live life to the fullest. You just have to make up your mind that in the midst of all the pressures, there will be pleasures. It is a decision to remain joyful irrespective of whatever situation you might be going through. You simply make up your mind to defuse pressures with laughter, for laughter doeth well like medicine
Pro 17:22 (MSG) A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.
Having a depressing disposition, unhappy tendencies, habitual despondency, uncontrollably bad moods are enough to leave the bones tired.
Since you have to cook anyway, why not decide to cook while enjoying yourself
Since you are going to wash the car, decide to wash while having a nice time.
Since the kids would always be around and going nowhere, enjoy yourselves and let them enjoy themselves too.
Doing things grumbling, complaining, and being unhappy in marriage is self-punishment. Decide to enjoy yourselves as a couple. Satisfy each other right into the bedroom!
I pray for your marriage, God will help you indeed in Jesus name. At every point of pressure, God will bring succor, His healing balm, and restore you in Jesus name.
Your marriage is blessed!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I choose to enjoy my marriage
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, take away every foolishness from our home
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Php 1:9 (KJV)And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
