God is really doing a work in my heart this week. Monday started out with the Titus 2 “At the Well” post where I felt great conviction about treating my husband as a friend.
Today, I attended a Mom’s group meeting with the guest speaker, Cathy Laffoon (pastor Jim Laffoon’s beautiful wife). She shared wisdom with us about the fruit of the Spirit, but applied this scripture to our relationships with our husbands.
Are you ready to have your toes stepped on?
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Cathy said that this is an AGAPE love. (I will only discuss the fruit “love” in this post.)
Does that last statement bring conviction to anyone other than me?
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 reads, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.“
Love is patient. Am I patient with my husband?
Love is kind. Am I always kind to him?
Love does not even or boast and is not proud.
Love is not rude. Am I ever rude?
Love is not self-seeking. Isn’t that pride? Am I thinking of my needs above my husband’s needs?
Love is not easily angered. Do I get angry with my husband?
Love keeps no record of wrongs. As much as we capture our thoughts and forgive — many women have the ability to REMEMBER. Are we keeping a record of wrongs?
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Do I protect my husband and trust him? Do I always have hope?
This scripture really convicts me because I see areas where I need to improve (even if these weaknesses don’t manifest into the natural, God knows my heart).
Even after being convicted about this yesterday, I got angry last night. My husband did not want to go pick up something at the store because he would have to take our daughter out of her car seat, take her in, then put her back in her seat. So, I had to go later with our daughter and do the very thing that he thought was too much trouble. Did I act in love? Not in my heart. You can only imagine my self-talk — at the same time, “I know Lord. I know, forgive me.”
I am going to continue to weigh my motives and reactions with this scripture. I pray you will join me. If you aren’t married, you can still weigh the way you love those who are closest to you.
I pray we find ourselves maturing in the Lord this week.
The beautiful part of this Beth, is the process of the Lord’s bringing out the truth in you/me to know ‘we are not there yet’…and the aim to be pleasing to Him.
Lovely post. Love you, my friend.
It’s so funny you posted on this. I was just thinking the other night about something that happend when we first moved to NC. About 7 years I got this book about praying for your Husband (can’t remember the title). Short story I never finished it and threw it in the trash. Now that I have matured some I actually wish I had that book again. Thanks for sharing.
Hi friend!
WOW, Thanks for sharing REAL LIFE in the simple things. I appreciate the inspiration.
You know what.. that whole thing about your hubby and the car seat thing is such a "little thing", but I sure do hear ya~ loud and clear, lol! How is it that "little things" become such "big things" to us ladies ??
I admire you for sharing this "little thing" because it brings transparency and authenticty to the picture of a real woman in pursuit of holiness to want to love and honor her dearly beloved husband even if somehow the "little things" can fuel us as if it were a "big thing." (this is the woman I hope & seek to be :O)
btw…. the cutest picture 'ever', is the one of you two eskimo kissing on your side bar speaks volumes of your love! can I say it again?… I love that picture it's the sweetest!
oh… and btw again, I ordered a "I love my husband T-shirt" ! I can't wait to get it in!!!
Luv ya!
Deanna
This was the scripture read at our wedding. We also have it matted and framed in our hallway. Thanks for taking the time to split it up like that. Makes it a little bit easier to focus on what it really says!
My toes are sore now and I have a lot of work to do. I’ve known this before this morning but you just brought it back to the forefront of my thoughts. Thank you for always sharing thought provoking posts.
All I can say is ouch. But thank you for posting these truths…I need to take these verses and put them into action. Be a doer of the word and not a hearer only.
Great truth my friend! Unfortunately I can’t always say the answers are yes. But thank you for the reminder to keep striving.
Love ya girl!
It is so easy for us moms to focus all our intention on our kids and neglect our husbands. That is something we have to guard against.
If we show love and respect to our husbands, our kids will too. If we treat them as if they know nothing, our kids will too.
Glory to God,Great Post sis left me feeling guilty
Godbless
When we bought this house 10 years ago on Monday, I had an artist paint 1 Cor. 13 above our bed. A CONSTANT reminder of what love is. I also have Gal. 5:22 painting in my computer room (which when we first moved in, was our dining room)…
‘does him good all the days of his life’ Proverbs 31..I have prayed this out to God, well actually bawled this out to God to help me live this out towards my husband.
My husband and I have had a VERY dysfunctional and abusive marriage for most of our lives. God TRULY has not only brought healing, but has changed my heart to love my husband and DESIRE to do him good, when there was a time…sigh…Let’s just say I praise God for setting my husband and I free to be the husband and wife He destined us to be.
Great post!! Thanks for sharpening me again girl!!
Beautiful post my sister. Amazing because I just began a Marriage Flavor blog. One of the teachings we did on Marriage a few years ago was on the Fruit of the Spirit and how we apply that to our marriages.
Awesome! I left you a “thank you” post for your prayers and love while I’m getting back on my feet.
Love you.
This was a great post, and I know it spoke volumes to many of us! I know it did for me! It’s so easy to know the Word, and so easy to be in our flesh. It’s only through the Holy Spirit that I will be able to be all those things! The flesh is weak but the spirit is willing.
Beth,
Your posts always inspire me so much and make me strive to be a better person…THANK YOU!
Even in a Godly marriage people can get lazy and take each other for granted. I have heard it said by so many men I counselled, they feel loved when they are trusted by their wife, and when she is thankful and full of joy.
Great reminder, Beth!
What a beautiful post…convicting as it should be. It is so hard to love AGAPE as HE asks us to do. I love Galatian’s fruits. I drafted a post last summer about the fruits but never posted as I never finished it.
I know what you mean about hubby grumbling over something and then you having to do that exact same thing YET we are not to grumble but react in love.
Our pastor last week said something…It’s easy for a person to act like a Christian. It’s difficult for a person to react like a Christian. Ponder that. Isn’t that so true. It’s not so much our actions but our reactions that get us hung up…or rather we hang ourselves with them…causing us to fall on our knees for forgiveness from God and others.
Hope you have a grand time…
Wow this is some great stuff Beth. God is certainly working on many of us this week in this area as I have noticed alot of posts this week about this subject. -blessings, Laurie
Beth, just because your toes were stepped on, that does not mean you have to step on someone else’s…mainly MINE! 🙂
smooches,
Larie
What a great post. It is really hard sometimes to bite my tongue! Thank you for the scripture and the reality check. I needed that today.
Hmmm…I definitely need to apply this after an incident with hubby last Monday! Thanks for a very thought-provoking, eye-opening post!
Love,
Beth
This is similar to the post I did on love the other day. I love when God is sharing things through different people at the same time to confirm what he has put on our hearts. Thanks for sharing!
simply beautiful..:)
Thanks for speaking in truth my friend.