The One Year Love Language Minute Devotional (81 page)

Father, you've made clear that touch is a gift not to be withheld from my spouse. Please help me to offer it freely and generously, as a gift of love.

The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. 1 TIMOTHY 6:10

WHY HAS MONEY become such a problem in American marriages? Some of the poorest couples in America have abundance compared to the masses of the world's population. I am convinced that the problem lies not in the amount of money that a couple has, but in their attitude toward money and the way they handle it.

This is in keeping with Paul's words in 1 Timothy 6:10. When we love money above other things, we may be willing to do almost anything to get more. Paul refers to believers whose eagerness for money has caused them to leave the faith and experience "many sorrows." Such sorrows are not the result of having money or not having money, but of letting money be the central focus of our life. If money is more important than God and our marriage, then we will have problems on both fronts.

Check your attitude. Are you looking to money for happiness, or are you looking to God? Your answer will have a profound impact on your marriage.

Father, money can be so seductive. I don't want to love it and pursue it to the detriment of my faith or my relationships with others around me. Please guard my heart and keep our priorities right as a couple.

Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. 1 TIMOTHY 6:11-12

MANY COUPLES BELIEVE that if they only had a hundred dollars more each month, they could be financially at ease. They say, "If we can just make it over this hump, we'll be satisfied." But that's faulty reasoning. Meet them two years later, and they are still trying to get over the hump.

Real satisfaction is found not in money, but in "righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness"-in short, in living with God and according to his values. This is the way the apostle Paul encouraged his young friend Timothy to live. Doing right, expressing love, being patient with imperfection, and having a realistic appraisal of yourself are the things that bring true fulfillment to a life and a marriage.

"But I must have food, clothing, and shelter," you might say. True, and these are promised by God to those who will put him first in life. Jesus said, "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need" (Matthew 6:33). Our physical provisions are the by-products of right and godly living. When we focus on the Lord and on our marriage relationship, satisfaction will follow.

Lord Jesus, thank you for the promise that you will provide everything we need. Please help us as a couple to pursue godly living and put your values first-not our finances.

The master was full of praise. "Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Lets celebrate together!" MATTHEW 25:21

A COMMON BIBLICAL WORD regarding money is stewardship.We are responsible for using wisely all that God gives us. The amount of our resources is relatively unimportant, but the faithful use of our resources is all-important. When Jesus told the parable of the talents, he finished by sharing the above words where the master congratulates the servant for his hard work and faithfulness. The Lord doesn't expect all of us to have the same amount of money or talent, but he does expect us to work hard with whatever we do have.

Financial resources have tremendous potential for good. As stewards, we are responsible to use all that God has entrusted to us. Sound planning, buying, saving, investing, and giving are all a part of our stewardship.

But in marriage, all of this must be done in cooperation with our spouse. We cannot be lone rangers financially and think that we can still have intimacy in marriage. Finances are an important part of marriage, and both spouses must be included in how they are handled. Succeeding with money and failing with marriage is an empty success.

Lord Jesus, I'm grateful for the parable of the talents and the reminder that you care about the details of what we do with our time and money. Please help us to work together as a couple. Remind us that all we have is yours, and help us to use those resources wisely.

Long ago the LORD said to Israel: "I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. "

JEREMIAH 31:3

HAVE YOU EVER FELT disappointed, sad, frustrated, fearful, or angry? Did you know the Bible teaches that emotions, both positive and negative, are gifts from God? How dull life would be if we had no feelings. Try to imagine watching a sunset, a ball game, or the ocean with no emotions. Imagine standing beside the open grave of a friend and feeling nothing.

We are made in the image of God, and a part of what that means is that we are emotional creatures. God feels anger, love, hate, and compassion. The above passage from the book of Jeremiah is just one of many places throughout the Bible where the Lord expresses strong emotions toward his people. Jesus, who was God in the flesh, felt depressed and sorrowful when he was approaching his death on the cross (see Matthew 26:36-46). He is not dispassionate, and that should not be our ideal either.

All humans experience emotions, but some couples do not share them. Perhaps they were taught as children to hide their feelings. "Big boys are not afraid;'some parents may have said. Marriage is meant to be an intimate relationship. If we fail to share emotions, we inhibit intimacy, and as a result, we create a distance between us. Sharing positive emotions will enhance the joy. Sharing negative emotions will ease the pain. Letting your spouse into the inner world of your emotions will build intimacy in your marriage.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your example of emotion. When I read about you weeping over your friend Lazarus's death, rejoicing over repentant sinners, or sorrowing over your coming death, lam reassured that feelings area normal and important part of our lives. Please help us as a couple to share our emotions so that we may draw nearer to each other.