Chapter 7 - Managing Your Marriage

When something is wrong with my priority relationship, my marriage, then all is wrong.

God's guidelines for Marriage
1. Help your husband (Gen 2:18)
- set aside self in order to make helping your husband a priority (really hard for me) with his responsibilities and his stewardship of family

2. Follow your husband's leadership (Eph 5:22)

3. Respect your husband (Eph 5:33)
- look at him
- never talk bad about him, only speak blessings
- as him (about decisions, etc.)

4. Love your husband (Titus 2:4)
- make your home life attractive and beautiful
- this is my beloved, my friend (Song of Sol 5:16)

10 Disciplines for a Meaningful Marriage
1. You shall center your life on the Lord
- Duet 6:6 - His Word in your heart
- Prov 4:23 - keep your heart with all diligence
- be a vessel God can work through

2. You shall pray for your husband - refresh your commitment to your marriage and your husband daily

3. You shall know your roles (see the guidelines above)
- fresh/daily commitment to live by them

4. You shall study your mate
- this is a way to demonstrate respect
- know his likes/dislikes

5. You shall be a servant (this is probably the toughest for me)
- marriage is more than finding the right person, it is being the right person
- don't get caught up in expecting his help, be like Christ

6. You shall follow your husband's leadership - do what God is asking, submit, so that He can work in your husband's life

7. You shall make sure your husband is #1 - in your life, your heart and your time

8. You shall talk things over

9. You shall heed a few "don'ts"
- Don't be contentious (Prov 19:23, Prov 27:15)
- Don't nag (Prov 27:15)
- Don't embarrass (Prov 31:11-12)

10. You shall make each day fun

Are you too busy to manage your marriage God's way?

I know that this is a touchy subject, remember I am just the messenger here. These are things that I wrote down that struck me as I did this Bible Study. Marriage is hard, and it is getting harder. Just like anything else, when we try and do it "our" way, it makes it harder than God designed it to be. The world tells us, that if we do these things, we are less of a person, that we are a doormat and I just don't think that is the case. Sure, there are men who take advantage of a situation like this and women who take it too far. But in my experience, when I try to put any one of these in practice, BG responds in a loving way, he does not take advantage of it. I also think that when you are obedient to God's Word, He protects you and blesses you. Like I said, these are things that stuck out to me, probably because they are things that I have trouble with! So, give it a try, what can you change?