SWEET MARRIAGE - 13 (BEAR THE WEAKNESS OF YOUR SPOUSE AND CARE FOR HIM/HER)

“We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” – Romans 15:1

Few days back I was waiting at an airport to receive a guest. I bought a ticket and went into the departure area. There was not much crowd there. When the flight arrived, everyone came to the baggage belt and waited for their bags. A gentleman took his baggage and came to sit in the place where I was standing. His wife waited for another bag and once she came with the bag, her husband stood up and walked towards her with his bag.  

As both were walking, his wife suddenly stopped and looked at his baggage and then looked at his face with a smile and asked, “Where is your laptop bag?” He remembered about his bag only when she had asked about it and he ran towards the place where he was sitting moments before. As there was not much crowd, the laptop was safe in the bag and he took it and came towards her. 

I could understand from both of their expressions that he does forget things often like what happened on that day and so I was waiting eagerly for the reaction of his wife once he return back to her after taking his laptop bag.

She never looked at him angrily or in a different way. She simply smiled as he told his own reason for his carelessness. She accepted it and they both walked out happily without any argument or words that might hurt each other. 

My dear young friend, even in your marriage life, your spouse might be careless or weak in certain areas or things. He / She might have a tendency to forget certain things and because of that many valuable things might have got lost. 

How we react to their weakness is very important? The woman I saw in the airport never showed any kind of disappointment or disapproval. She accepted the way and she spoke very politely to him. Only I was standing there and she didn’t react in disrespectful way to her husband. Because of her smile and politeness, they left out of the airport so happily. The peace and the joy between them were never disturbed. 

God wants us who were strong ought to bear the failings of the weakness of our spouse. Do not show your frustration and anger upon your spouse in public when they did something wrong. Do not react madly to their mistakes. Try to understand the weakness of your spouse and support and encourage him/her to do better. Do not put him/her down in front of somebody. If you want to convey something to your spouse about his/her weakness, speak to him/her politely and show that you care for him/her. 

Do not speak to him/her in authoritative tone in such situations. That may lead to some problems and your peace will get affected. Accept the weakness of your spouse, love and respect them. Do not hurt them by your disrespectful words or behaviour. Then God’s peace and joy will overflow in your life. You will stay united.

RELATION & RELATIONSHIPS - 17 (REJOICE WITH YOUR NEIGHBOUR WHEN THEY RECEIVE BLESSING FROM GOD)

“Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.” – Luke 1:57, 58.

Zacharias and Elizabeth both were righteous. Both of them were old and Elizabeth was barren. Everyone of their neighbour might know their life and the lack of blessing in their life. 

One day an Angel of the Lord met Zacharias and told him that his wife will bear him a son. Zacharias could not believe the Lord’s promise immediately because they were that much old.

But then a day came when the Lord’s promise got fulfilled in their life. Elizabeth conceived and she hid herself for five months. Many did not know that she was conceived. When Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, God blessed her with a son. 

As we all know, definitely Zacharias and Elizabeth would have felt so happy that God has blessed her with a son as He promised them. They have longed for this blessing for years and so they were happy. 

Bible records a beautiful incident that happens once Elizabeth delivers the baby. Bible says that when her neighbours and relatives heard the Lord’s doing in Elizabeth life, they rejoiced with her.

Why should the neighbours rejoice when Zacharias and Elizabeth receive a blessing from God? That was the bond of love between the neighbours and the family of Zacharias.

Will we be able to rejoice when someone whom we know receive a blessing or promotion or success? Are we rejoicing with them or we feel jealous about them?

Today God wants us to love our neighbour and rejoice with them. When your neighbour feels happy about something in their life, you should also feel happy for them. When they feel sad, you should also cry with them. That’s God’s love. 

Jesus sent few appointed ones to go and minister in various cities. When they returned they joyfully told Jesus all the good things that had happened through them. Luke 10:21 says that Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit. When His loved ones rejoiced, Jesus Christ also rejoiced with them. 

One day a man named Lazarus got sick and he died. When Jesus came to raise him from the dead, He saw his sisters and Jews crying. John 11:35 says that Jesus wept. When His loved ones cried, God also cried.

In Matthew 11:29 Jesus says, “...learn from Me...”

My dear young friends, learn from the life of Jesus. He cried when others wept. He rejoiced when someone else rejoiced because of something that had happened in their life. A better relationship needs bond of God’s love. You can’t simply rejoice with your neighbour without God’s love within you. 

Ask God to give you His grace and love so that you can rejoice with your neighbour when they receive a blessing and cry with them when they go through tough times. Your relationship will be blessed and God’s name will be glorified through you.

SONGS I LIKE - 38 (GOD IS IN THE SHADOWS - A WONDERFUL SONG WITH MEANINGFUL LYRICS)

I'm just a little flower here I'm blooming by this rock.
Sometimes it feels so lonely in this isolated spot.
But living in the valley where He's placed me here to grow.
I try to do my best for Him, He sees me now I know.

Yes, God is in the shadows, in the valley here below,
He sees one tiny flower as its beauty softly glows.
He never fails one time, each tiny detail He controls,
Yes, God is in the shadows, He is every where I go.

He gives me morning sunshine & the cool & gentle rain,
He softly smiles upon me as I spend a few short days
He loves me as He made me, He's a loving Heavenly King
I'm never all alone, He is always watching me.

LOOKING BACK (WITH THANKS) - 10 (GOD'S ABUNDANCE GRACE IN MY PARENTS MARRIAGE LIFE)

“So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” – Matthew 19:6

Recently my parents have entered into 40^th year of their marriage life. As a family we have gone through so many tough times but God helped us in everything. God sustained their marriage life and I had learnt so many things from their life.

As a small boy I had seen my father getting angry for everything. He was addicted to smoking and used to beat my mother at times. I was so little at that time. My mother always put me before my father when he gets angry because he loves me a lot and so when he sees me, he won’t go to any extreme step. 

All through those times, my mom was so patient and cried a lot to God. She had never shared much of her problems even to her mother. For many months my father was jobless and none of our relatives came to help. I could say God provided everything to us even in those difficult times.

Years passed and God helped my father to come out of all the bad habits. God also gave him a good job. We started to grow in the relationship with God. Everything went well and suddenly my father got seriously ill. We feared that he might die at anytime and again God heard our prayers and healed my father. 

The management to which my father was working doesn’t like him much and so they had filed a false case in his name. They said my father has to pay 7 crore rupees and at that time my father salary was less than five thousand rupees. The owners of that company wanted to arrest my father and torture him for no reason. During those times I was in my teen age and whenever I see a police man I fear a lot thinking they might come and arrest my father. 

My mother taught us to pray a lot for my father and we cried to God and looked Him for help. Graciously God relieved my father from that case and he was proved innocent. 

At times my parents used to throw words at each other in anger. Certain nights when I hear them fighting I fear they might get separate. But when the sun rises they behave so normal as if nothing had happened between them the previous night. They forgive each other so quickly and move on without pondering about what has happened. 

When my mother got cancer, my father stood behind her side and helped her in all possible ways. Though my father never expressed his love upon my mother openly, he always tells me how he treasure her relationship and how blessed he is to have her in his life.  Even now when my mother comes and stays in my home for few days, my father used to tell me that he feels so lonely without her.

I can personally say that it was because of God’s grace they were alive today. God has carried them so wonderfully so far and made them to enter into 40^th year. 

Few things I had learnt from their relationship and want to share it with you:

1.      Always look to God for your every need. Men will fail but God will never fail you.

2.      Try to raise your children in Godly values and teach them to seek God for everything.

3.      Even when you fight with each other, ask sorry quickly and move on.

4.      Do not hate your life partner at any time.

5.      Give some time to your life partner to get into right direction and during this course, do pray for her/him.

6.       When any one of you speaks in anger, do not try to answer it in the same tone. Listen patiently and once their anger goes down, talk to them. Do not argue unnecessarily.

7.      Most importantly, pray a lot for your spouse so that you will stay united.

8.      Do not cheat your spouse by getting into unnecessary relationships.

9.   When you face difficulties, stay together.

I thank God for their life and the way He had led them so beautifully all this years. Because of God’s abundant grace in my parents family life, we their children were richly blessed today. 

My dear young friends, if you are married, do submit your relationship into God’s hands and look to Him for everything. He will lead you, guide you and protect you.