Well, today's the day. It's the final day of our "10 Commandments Tuesday" series. These past 10 weeks have been so good for me as I have been able to read and convey the principles of this book to you. I hope that you have been able to take away something to practice in your own marriage. This week's commandment is
Thou Shalt Build a Winning Team
"It is not good for man to be alone; I will make a helper suitable for him."
Genesis 2:18
God intended for man and woman to join together and become "one flesh." They are supposed to be united and on the same team. So how do we build a winning team? Well, here are some components for a winning marriage team:
1. The Eternal Architect
God designed marriage. He made it to be a perfect union. However, sin has made a huge dent in that union and if not careful, can completely ruin it. But knowing who the Architect is and following his instructions, we can still build a winning team.
2. The Right Coach
Jesus is our coach who not only tells us what to do, but also shows us. Ed says, "The staggering reality is that a husband and wife who have individually invited Christ into their lives "have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16). All the treasures of Christ's mind are now in the spirit of the person in whom He dwells. The issue is accessing what we already have and putting it to practical use." The more we intimately walk with Christ, more of His wisdom and knowledge we'll gain. The more His wisdom is gained, the more the relationship grows.
3. The Players
"God has recruited us as players for His Kingdom's purposes. When we allow Jesus Christ to be our Coach, He can take our most ordinary talents and abilities and do extraordinary things with them. Without Christ on our side, we can do nothing. But with Christ on our side, we have all the talent we need to build a winning marriage team."
4. The Intangibles
Goal setting, commitment, discipline, togetherness are all examples of the necessary intangibles in marriage. When you are working together on the same team, with the same goals in mind, you're strengthening your marriage.
5. Fan Support
Encouragement is a necessity in marriage, whether it comes from family, friends, kids, coworkers, church family, etc. These people are to help encourage you in your marriage. They are to support you and to be there for you. So it's important as you choose those friends in life, to choose ones who will encourage and support you. These people should also teach and minister God's Word.
Reflecting on Your Relationship:
3. The Players
"God has recruited us as players for His Kingdom's purposes. When we allow Jesus Christ to be our Coach, He can take our most ordinary talents and abilities and do extraordinary things with them. Without Christ on our side, we can do nothing. But with Christ on our side, we have all the talent we need to build a winning marriage team."
4. The Intangibles
Goal setting, commitment, discipline, togetherness are all examples of the necessary intangibles in marriage. When you are working together on the same team, with the same goals in mind, you're strengthening your marriage.
5. Fan Support
Encouragement is a necessity in marriage, whether it comes from family, friends, kids, coworkers, church family, etc. These people are to help encourage you in your marriage. They are to support you and to be there for you. So it's important as you choose those friends in life, to choose ones who will encourage and support you. These people should also teach and minister God's Word.
Reflecting on Your Relationship:
- If your marriage were indeed a college football team, where would it be ranked?
-We're in the top five, vying for the championship.
-We're in the top ten, thrown for a loss once in a while, but we're a winning team.
-We win some, we lose some, but we could be a lot better.
-We're losing more than we win; we don't let the Coach lead us in the day-to-day party of our marriage. - In what areas does your mate need some "coaching?" What about you?
- How does your family and friends provide "fan support" for your marriage?
- What is the greatest strength of your marriage team?
I'm so glad you stuck with me through this 10 week series. I hope you learned something that you can put into practice in your own marriage. In what ways have you been challenged? In what ways do you feel affirmed? If you feel comfortable, would you share?
If you missed any part of the series, you can catch up here:
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love to hear from my readers! I try to respond to each comment. So check back to see the response! :]