GPS to a Joyful Marriage

Last week I shared some eye opening statistics about pornography.  We all have a “thorn in our side” that may hinder our relationship with God and with our spouse; many not as obvious as the problem of pornography.  It may get in the way of God’s plan for our lives -- anything that comes before God like pornography, television, electronic devices, alcohol, drugs, sex and so on.  How do we find the freedom to live our life according to God’s plan for us?  The freedom that will also bring us the healthy, satisfying marriage we desire? “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.  People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers.  The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” “Each tree is recognized by its ...

“For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” - Luke 6:45 How did your heart do on the heart test from my last posting?  We are often unaware of the negative thoughts, resentments, unforgiveness, etc. that we hold in our hearts.  Most of it comes from our experiences as children, and so we don’t realize how unhealthy the “evil stored up in our heart” can be.  That’s all we’ve ever known. Have you ever been around a negative person that seems to have nothing positive to say about anything?  It’s exhausting.  Imagine how it must be to live in a negative world like that.  The things stored up in our hearts greatly affect our relationship with God and our relationship with our spouse.  For example, when Rick and I were first married, I didn’t realize I had a right to my own opinions about choices we made in our marriage.  I thought it was up to Rick.  That’s how I was raised.  My father made all the decisions, and I grew ...

In Luke 6 verses 43-45, Jesus tells us the truth about the fruit in our lives. “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.  People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers.  The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” “Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.”   You can’t hide the real fruit in your life.  Other people notice what kind of fruit you bear, especially your spouse. “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.”  What does your heart look like? Proverbs 4:23 (NKJ version) says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”  The NIV version says, “Above...