Faith, and Works????
Relationships
with people give you access to certain things that you would not have otherwise
had access to. Friendships, business deals, and romantic relationships come
with perks that can hardly be described but they also come with responsibility.
No relationship survives in imagination and happy thoughts alone, there has to
be some work put into their success. A lot of times we want access to the
benefits but want to do very little to ensure that the relationships remain
alive.
James
2:17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead (New International Version)
We seem to believe that a great marriage, exceptional friendship, or flourishing career comes about just because you have a relationship with God. If that were true Christians would never get a divorce, end a friendship, or get laid off. That is the furthest thing from the truth. We have to put prayer AND effort into everything we do. God equips us with the tools we need to succeed but if we never pick them up, He can’t bless the work of our hands. Too many marriages fail because we aren’t working hard on what we prayed for. Women spend countless hours preparing for their husband to find them, and when he does all we do is pray to keep our marriages alive. Husbands invest time and energy in courting the woman that eventually bear his children and carry his last name, but once she does she becomes forgotten in the hustle and bustle of providing for the family.
A desire to please God first, then your spouse is what affords your marriage a fighting chance to survive. Don’t take advantage of the gift God has given you by leaving the natural responsibilities to a supernatural God. While you’re praying for a good marriage you need to follow the instructions God has given you to make it good.
1 Peter 3:1-2 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.
1 Peter 3:7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
It’s not just our prayers that keep our relationships in God’s hands, it’s also the words we speak and the actions we take. More energy has to be invested in the covenants we make instead of just waiting to receive the benefits from them. A tool is only valuable when the person using it knows what it was made for. You can’t get the best out of something you aren’t willing to put your best into.
Dating shouldn’t stop after you say I do and everything you did to “catch” that person should be done to keep them. Marriages, friendships, and companies aren’t failing; the people behind them are. The institutions that God created are perfect but our imperfect selves just have to find out how to use His blueprint for success. Don’t give up doing it God’s way just because it hasn’t worked doing it your way.
Work your faith!
We seem to believe that a great marriage, exceptional friendship, or flourishing career comes about just because you have a relationship with God. If that were true Christians would never get a divorce, end a friendship, or get laid off. That is the furthest thing from the truth. We have to put prayer AND effort into everything we do. God equips us with the tools we need to succeed but if we never pick them up, He can’t bless the work of our hands. Too many marriages fail because we aren’t working hard on what we prayed for. Women spend countless hours preparing for their husband to find them, and when he does all we do is pray to keep our marriages alive. Husbands invest time and energy in courting the woman that eventually bear his children and carry his last name, but once she does she becomes forgotten in the hustle and bustle of providing for the family.
A desire to please God first, then your spouse is what affords your marriage a fighting chance to survive. Don’t take advantage of the gift God has given you by leaving the natural responsibilities to a supernatural God. While you’re praying for a good marriage you need to follow the instructions God has given you to make it good.
1 Peter 3:1-2 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.
1 Peter 3:7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
It’s not just our prayers that keep our relationships in God’s hands, it’s also the words we speak and the actions we take. More energy has to be invested in the covenants we make instead of just waiting to receive the benefits from them. A tool is only valuable when the person using it knows what it was made for. You can’t get the best out of something you aren’t willing to put your best into.
Dating shouldn’t stop after you say I do and everything you did to “catch” that person should be done to keep them. Marriages, friendships, and companies aren’t failing; the people behind them are. The institutions that God created are perfect but our imperfect selves just have to find out how to use His blueprint for success. Don’t give up doing it God’s way just because it hasn’t worked doing it your way.
Work your faith!
With All My Love,
Mrs. Truscott
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