Personal Protective Equipment for Marriages
“Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”” (1 Peter 5:5 ESV)
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony…Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.” (Colossians 3:12-19 ESV)
Many times, too many times, it’s the little offenses that cause a marriage, or any relationship for that matter, to grow sour.
Have you ever been offended? What was it that got under your skin? An unkind word? A forgotten anniversary? A lack of attention?
Within every marriage there’s an opportunity for misunderstandings and offenses.
But God has a solution. He has a way for us to get past such things. And it’s as simple as dressing for the day.
Tomorrow morning, as you walk to your closet to choose your day’s attire, try this:
Tell yourself, “Today, before I put on anything else, I’m going to put on humility. Humility before God, my spouse, and my world. God is my protection, my promotion, and my purpose for living. I will also put on compassion, kindness, meekness; and with the Lord’s help I can bear anyone and anything I will face today. I do not walk alone, for God is with me.”
You see, humility and compassion are like undergarments; they are worn under the Armor of God to ensure a perfect fit.
Sometimes offenses occur which require extra grace, along with intervention and counsel. But many times we become wounded because we’ve failed to dress properly.
God’s answer for “thin skin” is proper clothing. It’s know as our “Personal Protective Equipment”.
Don’t leave home, or attempt to sustain a relationship, without it.
Jan Grace 