** I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.** Philippians 4:13
**And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.** 2 Corinthians 12:9
We have talked about a lot of different aspects about marriage in this series. We talked about commitment, having the same mind, serving together, finding things to be joyful about, to let go of worry, to be thankful, and to be content and more.
At this point you might be feeling overwhelmed. You might be thinking there’s just too much to fix, too much that’s been left unattended. Maybe working on your marriage seems like a huge mountain to climb, or maybe there’s just a couple of areas that really need work. So, where should you start and where can you get the energy and wisdom to make a difference?
That’s where these two verses come in. They are all about recognizing that there are many things in life that we just can’t do alone. We need help. We need a partner. We need someone bigger and smarter and stronger than us to take our hand and guide us through the difficult tasks.
Once we realize that we have an All-powerful and All-knowing partner in Jesus Christ to help us with our relational challenges, the work becomes less daunting. We also have his complete acceptance and unconditional love to lean on. He will walk with us in our marriage journey helping us to find the right words and the right ways to strengthen our weak areas. He will forgive our blunders and teach us how to do it better next time. And He will NEVER give up on us or our marriage.
Philippians tells us that we CAN DO all things, but with God´s help, through Christ. We CAN DO…anything that will strengthen us. And a happy marriage is definitely a strengthening task, right?
Having a strong marriage gives us confidence, security, peace, contentment and inner strength. These are some of the things we have talked about in the series. Being thankful and praying through our worries produces peace in our hearts, right? And that immediate peace spills over into a stronger marriage that doesn´t fret over every problem that pops up, but works together to find a solution–through prayer and partnership. And then that peace becomes a lasting quality in our marriage.
I can do ALL THINGS….any area that becomes an issue in marriage can be worked through if we put Christ in the middle of it. It is when we try to work things out in our own reasoning or experience that things can get muddled.
So, as our closing verse,** I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me**….we find the power and perseverance and source of strength to build a stronger, happier partnership with our spouse.
I hope you have enjoyed this Series and I hope you have found some ideas to help you work through past and present marital issues. Know that God is with you and He greatly desires you to have a rewarding and fortified marriage. I will be praying for you as you walk forward together, closer, committed and confident in your relationship.