LIFE ENRICHMENT MINISTRIES, INC. (501c3)
Romans 14:17 (NKJV)
17 “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
NOTE:
As I woke this morning, the above scripture came to my mind. I was praying about marriage counseling. I ask God daily for more of His wisdom even though I’ve written a book on marriage – “God’s Design for Marriage” – available on my website: www.carolclemans.org and as eBook on amazon.com.
In Ephesians 5, God tells us to submit one to another in the fear of the Lord. In God’s design for spiritual order, it is God as head over the husband and the husband is head (or responsible to God) of his wife and children.
God instructs the husband to love his wife as God loved the church and died on a cross for her salvation. God as our Bridegroom loves unconditionally, is caring, kind, gentle, easily entreated, protector and provider for His Bride the church.
If husbands would love as Christ loves the church, there would be righteousness, peace and joy in our marriages through the power of the Holy Spirit. How we treat each other is how we are treating God including our spouses. We must filter every thought, feeling and action through God first to create a peaceful and joyful atmosphere in our marriages and families.
Ecclesiastes 12: 13-14 tells us to “Fear God and obey his commands, for this is the duty of every person. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.”
Selfishness is the root of all marital problems. Selfishness demands its own way. Selfishness is sin. Lucifer was selfish and wanted the glory that was given to God. God was totally unselfish when he came in a robe of flesh and died on a cross to purchase His Bride! God says to husbands, love your wife as I have loved you – no woman can resist a God-loving man!!
Husbands, if you want your marriage and family to experience peace and joy, do the righteous thing and love them as Christ loved the church. Selfishness, rudeness, anger, abuse of any kind will destroy a marriage. God’s our final judge.
Wives who are God-centered will respect and lovingly respond to a man who loves her with Christ’s love. My book mentioned above on marriage gives you all the details on how to have a God-centered marriage that produces love, joy and peace.
Both husbands and wives will answer to God for their thoughts, feelings and actions. Our words (and actions) will either justify us or condemn us before God!
Jesus is coming soon for His Bride. We must be praying, “Search me, O God! Know my heart! Remove any unrighteousness out of my heart!” Allow God to come in to your heart for ‘spiritual exploratory surgery.’ Jesus is returning for a Bride without spot or wrinkle or any such thing!
(c) Carol Clemans – August 2015
www.carolclemans.org – I speak for churches/conferences. I provide nationwide counseling by phone/Skype (636) 448-0121 for pastors and lay people. Teaching products & marriage book on website.