ilove

Jeffrey Ream — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:37:07 +0000

Tonight I got to put into practice what we are learning about during our current series on relationships. Sunday John had two baskets on stage. One was labeled “Desires” and the other “Expectations”. You see we come into marriage with all these God-given desires. Then somehow we turn them into marital expectations.Tonight I was able to meet one of my wife’s current desires by reading a book on husbands being labor partners. I know… lots of fun reading there. I did that mainly because I know that is a desire she has of me. She wants me to be ready next month when she goes into labor with our second child. You know, one of the really cool things that I am learning the longer I am married is that it feels good knowing that I met that desire of her heart. It makes me feel good to know that I put her desires above my own desires. Mine had to do with TV and maybe an X-Box. But I put those aside to meet hers.Now please don’t get me wrong. I am not the perfect husband by a long shot. I just am learning to put into practice things that God is speaking to me about. I pray that as we dive into week two of our i-love series this next week you will be praying and asking God what areas in your life you need to get rid of the big “I”. I know I am praying that God will help me get rid of more of my selfish desires and love my wife and family selflessly. I want to love Jenn better than I do right now. Let me speak to another group of people for a minute. I know that some of you are in the midst of painful relationship situations. For some of you, you are thinking of not coming back next week because you already have your mind set on giving up on your relationship with your spouse. You want to (as John said) take your box of desires and give them to someone else.My prayer for you is one of the many prayers the psalmist David prayed. ”Help me to want to do your will…” Many times we simply do not want to follow him because it is too hard and too painful. We would much rather take the easy way out. I plead with you dear brother or sister to pray that prayer. ”God help me to want to do YOUR will.”

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