Closer to God, Closer to Each Other
Ephesians 5:18-21 (NKJV) And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.
In a marriage, there will be many opportunities for us to be upset, hurt, criticised or irritated over small issues. We need to learn how to handle these situations. We can either allow these things to upset us, have our peace and joy stolen, or draw strength from the Lord while waiting for our spouse to change. Some people might drown their unhappiness with alcohol, which can lead to other evils.
The Apostle Paul tells us that we can draw strength from the Lord by being filled with the Holy Spirit because it strengthens and edifies our spirit man. Once our spirit man is strengthened and edified, we will have the ability to keep walking in love and forgiveness. The law of sin and death will attempt to enslave the flesh to start a conflict and make us dwell in it. However, we shouldn’t feed the flesh or the carnal nature, but yield to the Holy Spirit. We are to worship God through praise and worship, and choose to thank the Lord for everything.
1 Corinthians 14:4 (NKJV) He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.
This edification is akin to recharging a depleted battery, granting it renewed energy. When we choose to walk in love and forgiveness, we are giving out of the spirit man. When we are emotionally drained, we become easily irritated and will succumb to the flesh. However, there is a renewed strength and grace within us when we are edified and filled with the Holy Spirit. It is much easier to walk in the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus when our spirit man is strengthened. The devil attempts to kill, steal, and destroy individuals and their marriages by causing them to feed on the flesh. The flesh then dictates our emotions, causing us to become offended, hurt, angry, and vindictive with our words and actions. When we cool down from heated arguments, we usually regret many of these actions. We can better control our emotions and the flesh when filled with the Spirit because the spirit man will yield to the Holy Spirit more easily when it is strong and edified.
The key to maintaining peace, love, and joy in a marriage is for the couple to have their own worship, devotion, and prayer time in the Spirit. God will work with us during these sessions because of the presence of the Holy Spirit and the confrontation of the Word of God, enabling us to choose to extend grace and mercy towards our spouse. That’s why we are closer to each other when we draw closer to God each day.
Sermon Series: Blessed Wives, Blessed Lives
