 |
||
|
Marriage Stinky Socks Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. --- Matthew 7:3-5 (The Revised Standard Version) As I picked up my husband's socks from the floor once again, I wrinkled my nose and wondered why he insisted on leaving his clothes exactly where he took them off. We do have a nice, big clothes hamper waiting to capture them. Already in my mind I started thinking of other pet peeves that annoyed me. Suddenly the Holy Spirit nudged by barrage of thoughts. "Why are you criticizing your husband?" Oh-oh, I did it again. It is so easy to be negative and the sad thing is criticism is contagious. It does not take too many events for one person to blow up another's imperfections so bad that conflict occurs. When we criticize, we unconsciously lift ourselves up as saints and the other person as the "bad" one. Many marriages could have been saved if one partner took the time to NOT focus on being negative. Everyone has room for improvement. So how do you counteract this negative form of thinking that can ultimately turn you into the very woman Solomon warns about in Proverbs 27:15. Now a man can be a nag too! Maybe not in the same way as a woman, but both genders can be guilty of being overly critical when it or unnecessarily negative. On Valentine's Day, most people spend time thinking about and celebrating their love. Well, don't just wait until February 14th to get lovey dovey feelings and then be Mr. or Mrs. Gripe-All-The-Time for the rest of the year. Showing appreciation for people we love begins with our thought life. Think about your mate the way God thinks about you. He knows you are not perfect, but He also knows you inside and out. There are some special things about you that God created to make you very fitting to your life partner. For example, as I walked the socks over to the laundry room, I started thinking, "My husband may leave his socks on the floor, but he does help do the laundry. Some more postive attributes:
Hopefully, one day the socks will immediately go into the hamper, but until them I won't stoop to being a nag or thinking negatively. It only pushes those "lovey-dovey" feelings farther and farther away thus eventually breaking a beautiful bond created by God. For permission to reprint this devotion or study in a publication, please contact Tyora Moody at editor@faithwebbin.net or visit her personal Web site, CookieAisle.com.
|
|
|