Life comes at us fast sometimes. We are bombarded by our different responsibilities, bad news, challenges and obstacles. We need God to revive, restore and renew us in every aspect of our lives, but today I will focus on relationships (marriages specifically).
Have you ever received a massage? Laid out on the beach with a cold glass of lemonade? Taken a vacation? These are things that provide relaxation and relief. It is important that we take a moment for ourselves, a moment to truly concentrate on the rejuvenation of our marriage. In your single years you experienced stress in many areas – work, school, family, and possibly friends. Those things do not disappear once you get married.
As a married couple, you deal with double of the stress because you have become one. You must find a healthy way to deal with the “issues of life”. The way that you dealt with stress in singlehood may or may not work in marriage. You must be willing to change your coping mechanisms. If you were one that dealt with stress by shutting everyone out …. that doesn’t work so well in marriage. It is important to find a good coping mechanism with the things life throws at you.
The Word of God is able to restore and revive us. John 1:1-5 says "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." I love the ending of the verse which states “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”. Darkness will come, however, it will not overtake the light. The light drives out darkness, so let your light shine in your marriage, within your friendships and amongst family.
My prayer is that God will revive, restore and renew us. May He breathe new life into every dusty part of our marriage that’s been forgotten or neglected. Revive the covenant we share and made in front of family and friends, & strengthen our resolve to live out every promise we made. For those who are struggling, please know that God specializes in miracles. He gives hope where all hope was lost. God commands life with His Word, and by that same Word we know that He is able to do more than we could do on our own.
Thank God for your marriage. Ask for forgiveness for the many times you took your marriage for granted. Ask for forgiveness for the days we’ve let your pride get in the way of love. Thank God for His incomparable grace that puts sin behind us, and the everlasting hope that is standing before us.
To my followers who are single: Find healthy ways to deal with stress. That may be journaling, going out for a walk/run, an outing with friends, or speaking to a counselor. Build the foundation now so that when you do get married you have a healthy coping mechanism established.
To my followers who are married: With your spouse, be open to communicate the way you currently deal with stress and what would be best for the marriage. If you went into the marriage without the best way, you can still build one. Be willing to change. Also, be able to communicate with your spouse the areas that you feel may not be working well. We all are able to grow!
For His Glory Only,
XOXO
Danielle J.
