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Your Source of Strength and Encouragement
By Moe Becnel

We all have up and down thoughts. Our adversary the devil makes sure we have some "down" thinking.

So, who do you have around you for support?
Who encourages you?
Who have you selected as your support network? Are they giving you Godly or worldly advice? (NOTE: Fellow Christians will often give worldly advice!)
Who challenges you to walk and live in the principles of God?
Are there some who encourage you, but you do not value their input?

A few days ago something happened to me, and I needed encouragement. I was hoping for God to send "certain" people to speak a word to me, or in some fashion support me.
My feelings got worse when I was at lunch with peers and they were talking about the support they receive from certain people in their lives. I felt alone and isolated.
Can any of you relate?

As I shared my feelings with Paige, she began to encourage me. And she does that so well! But she was not who I wanted to hear it from. (Of course, I did not tell her that.)

As I lay in bed that night I could not sleep. I kept rehearsing the lunch conversation in my head. I prayed and asked God to send me someone to be an ally, a support, and an encourager in my life.

God’s Answer
God spoke to my thoughts and said, "I already have. Her name is Paige, and she is in covenant with Me and with you. She is your helper – your partner. If men only need encouragement from other men, then I would have created another man for Adam to fellowship with in the Garden of Eden. But I gave Adam a woman as a life partner, and it is good.
Paige is your life partner. Value her! Do not discount the value of the gift of the wife I have given you. Do not de-value the words she says, or the things she does. Give your attention to her. Make extra effort to communicate with her."

Well, I was not expecting THAT answer!
I realized that night that I had not fully invested myself (as much as I could have) in developing my partnership with Paige. I began to see Paige in a new way – so much more valuable!

God is so cool! There are times when we think we need something, and He has already provided it. Often the answer to our question is under our nose, but we just do not recognize it because we are programmed by the world’s thinking, rather than by God’s Word.

I am NOT saying that men-men or women-women friendships are wrong. I AM saying that we are to place the HIGHEST value on the relationship with our spouse.
We also need to grasp an understanding of the partnership that God intended the marriage relationship to be.

How About You?
How is your marriage partnership?
Does it need strengthening?
Have you valued your spouse as God’s design for your life partner?
Does your marriage lack the intimacy (not just physical) that God intended?

You can change it – even if you are the wife. You see, you cannot change people, but you can change yourself.
When you change your attitude, your actions will change, and people notice. And that often initiates a change in them – maybe not right away because they want to see if you are reacting to something you ate last night. So your change has to be consistent and permanent.

Become "ONE"
You will maximize the partnership in your marriage when you become one.
Genesis 2: 24 says, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh."

Becoming one is God’s command. It is His design for marriage.
Becoming one is also a process that takes time, and effort. Two individuals do not become one on their wedding day – or night. If they did, there would be no arguments, disagreements, and struggles in marriages today.

There are four components that need to be dealt with in becoming one – body, soul, mind and spirit.
When you make commitments to develop common goals (mind), help each other achieve their dreams (soul), and serve God together (spirit), you are on the road to becoming one.

Pray
I shared with you how my prayer that night changed my perspective. It will do the same for you.
Pray for your spouse.
Ask God to help you see the true value of your spouse as a life partner. Maybe He will show you some gifts, abilities, and talents they have that you have ignored.
Ask God to show you how to be a better life partner – then take action!

Be A Lifter
> Do not wait to be lifted first. Jesus lifts us, builds us, brings comfort to us, guards us, gently shows us our errors, and sets us free! Do the same for your spouse!

> Jesus never tears His Bride down! Guard you words. When you are angry, do not speak until you calm down.

>Affirm, encourage, and embrace your spouse. Pull your spouse close to you and become their BEST friend!

I hope this article changes the way you see your marriage, your spouse, and your role. Marriage is designed to be a wonderful, fulfilling, intimate relationship between two people.
If yours is not there yet, change how you see your spouse. A change in your perspective of your marriage, your spouse, and your role can make great strides in building your partnership.

Forgiveness is A MUST for life-long relationships.