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Partnerships: do you complete or compete with each other? [+] Monday E-Devotion

Are you married to someone opposite of you?  Often in dating it is true that opposites attract but in marriage it changes to opposites attack.  Most of us have had some experience there.  There is tension and blessings of in every partnership. 

What God uses complete us often Satan often uses to make us compete with each other.  It is not until we become who God wants us to be AND see our partner as a true partner that this will change.  To be partners you have to make this promise: I promise our marriage will be about "WE" and not "ME".

Genesis 2:24 NASB
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they will shall one flesh. 

The word ONE means united, altogether and completely joined as one.  The first institution God created was marriage, and many of us feel like we are in an institution or need to be rather than in a place that God is blessing and using to make us better.  When we see what God's best is for our partnerships and our marriages, we will change and allow God to work.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 NASB
… A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

Two become one in marriage.  It is kind of like a three a legged race.  We are still an individual.  But we are tied together by the cord of Christ.  If we work together we will accomplish great things and have success.  But if we try to do our own thing, we will fight or compete the entire time and fail.  Christ wants to complete us.  He wants to be united.  As we focus on God, we will not be broken but build up.

Many of our partnerships are divided and not together.  Many of us have experienced difficult relationships and even divorce.  Yet God wants us to succeed.  The only way for that to happen is for us to treat each other with respect and trust.  It is time that we believe what God believes and says about marriage.

Luke 11:17 NIV
… Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. 

Psalm 34:3 NASB 
O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.

There is the key word.  TOGETHER.  God wants our marriage to be a TOGETHER kind of thing.  That takes 2 people with a high level of commitment to each other and willing to make it work and make the partnership win even with high costs involved.

Julie and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary this past Sunday.  It was a great day, and I am blessed.  Yet we will both admit that we have had tough times.  We have had some times that we were failures.  But along this journey God has taught us that we can and must win together.  Marriage is meant to be a great thing and not a noose around our necks.

Believe what God says.  Do life together and allow God to make your partnerships and your marriage examples of how great our God is.
 

Ephesians 5:25 NLT

For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her


[+] Please Pray

 

Pray for the people who are in the wake of the fires around Austin, TX.  My good friend John Higgins lives and works in that area and shared this is the worst fire in the state's history.  These people need our prayers.  Pray for a friend that has an important meeting this afternoon.  Pray for the people who will be part of our baptisms and celebrations this Sunday.  Pray for Harry Rice's sister who had surgery today.

 

[+] E-DEVOTIONS: written by Michael Harrison, lead Pastor, The Community Fellowship;  reason to encourage you to follow Jesus; archived at Michael's blog, http://e-devotion.blogspot.com ;  subscribe, unsubscribe or contact  mharrison@thecommunityfellowship.org.

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