Man In CrisisSample

Don't Punish - Persevere

Once we start changing, we have a great temptation to face. We want our wife to acknowledge the change. We want some reward or encouragement from her. We are tempted to think that our change should somehow change her. That’s bad thinking. 

You didn’t repent and start changing for her. So stop looking for her approval. You repented and changed for God. Seek His face. Let His approval be enough. Your wife may never accept that you’ve changed. That’s okay. Because her opinion, in this case, is not needed. 

Your wife may be in such a difficult place that even an angel from heaven couldn’t convince her of your change. Be prepared for this. You can’t punish her for the situation. Pray for her. But don’t expect any acknowledgment from her. 

Many men fall when they don’t get any positive response from their wives, They were secretly expecting that God would make everything right in their marriage if they just started changing. That’s why I’ve warned you over and over not to make this about saving your marriage, but becoming a man of God. Of course it's going to be about trying to save the marriage, but that is secondary to becoming who God wants us to be. 

It’s time to become a soldier on a mission. Soldiers can’t get distracted by side interests. Many lives are on the line; even his own life is in danger. He has to endure to the end to accomplish the mission. The mission here is your growth into a godly man, intimate with your Father. 

Your commanding officer is the Holy Spirit. Your mission is becoming like Christ. Your goal is to bring glory to God the Father, Lord of Hosts, King of Heaven. He’ll be the one to pin the medals on you, give you the crown of glory at the end. Your sole focus is on what pleases Him. What’s the best way to do that?

Know What Pleases Him. Again, it’s back to the Bible. You must know what kind of conduct He desires in a soldier of His kingdom. Go back to those lists you made a few days ago and keep working on them. 

Be A Soldier Every Day. One thing I’ve incorporated into my walk with God is a saying. I try to say it every day when I wake up. If I forget, I usually remember sometime during the day. The words remind me that I belong to God and no one else’s opinion matters. It’s this, “Lord, here I am. I’ll do whatever you want me to do today. And I don’t care what anyone thinks about it.”

Ignore The Distractions. I mainly mean here, the distractions of other people’s character. Regardless of the character and actions of people, you do the right thing. Their reactions, their accusations, their opinions cannot matter. Only what God thinks. It’s a challenge to stay on mission. Part of that mission is to love everyone around you in the way Jesus loves them. Paul instructed Timothy, ‘And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness." 2 Timothy 2: 24-25a

Challenge: Read and Meditate on 1 Peter 2:13-25. Concentrate specifically on verse 23 and ask God to show you how to weave what you find here into your life.