Part II in sermon series @ church:

When you married the WRONG person...
...based on Luke 18: 35-43

1. What goes wrong in a marriage?
* unresolved issues from our past magnify in marriage.
* unmet expectations disappoint us and become over important in marriage.
* underestimated differences irritate but don't turn our marital problems into pearls.
*unforgiven mistakes fester and cause a deeper infection in marriage.

2. The ABCs of a "Marriage Makeover:
* ACCEPT responsibility for your ACTIONS. (v. 38 "He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

* BELIEVE your marriage can CHANGE. (v. 41b..."Lord, I want to see, he replied."

* COMMIT to doing WHATEVER it takes. (v.39b "...but he shouted all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!'"

* DEAL with unresolved hurts by ASKING for forgiveness AND by GIVING forgiveness.

* ENLIST support from OTHERS. (v43 "Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus..."

I am sharing this because DH GOT IT ! For so long he has said he his here (in the marriage) because he HAS to be... to be an active co-parent... today he said that maybe we should find some 'classes' on marriage to take... because one of the things that Pastor said in his sermon was that reconciliation CAN happen... that GOD can take you where you are and RESTORE your marriage... but it is up to YOU to take the steps...

With God... ALL things ARE POSSIBLE...

Cali

I am a believer that without God marriages would not be saved or renewed.

I love the post. Makes sense.

Love in Christ
cajunky

Thanks Cali!! My church recently did a 12 week series on marriage a few months ago. I will have to find that info and post it.

Something that really stuck out with me is that marriage is a curve.

When you first meet each other, marry, totally in love, the line is primarily moving upward.

When things start to settle, and the line starts to flatten, we have 3 choices:

1. stay flatlined, This marriage is unhealthy and does not have life that God wants it to be.
2. let the line go in the negative direction leading to divorce.
3. Work on the marriage, let the marriage grow, and the line will keep moving up, this is the only way to have mature love in a marriage.

The pastor mentioned that so many couples see their marriage starting to flatline, that they just give up, not giving the extra push that it takes to continue the way uphill.