God’s Word is a powerful weapon against sin and against the enemy of our souls and marriages. But I need to know how to really make it work for me and my marriage. Following are some basic principles that help open the door to letting God’s Word effectively change me.
1. God’s Word can’t work if I don’t use it. Pray for God to help me listen and stay calm. And if I find myself moving into defensive action, ask for a break.
2. I must remember that the heart is deceitful above all things. When issues arise, I’m my number-one fan. But my reality isn’t reality at all. I’ll always side with myself: the way I think, the way I interpret things or people, and the way I act. My skewed thinking is not truth. God’s Word is truth! Being easily hurt or carelessly hurting others can easily be passed off as “the other person’s issue.” Hearts cannot be trusted!
3. I need to set myself up for success. How? I need to know my weaknesses. I need to have Scriptures available (by memory or in a handy place) so I can retrieve them when necessary. I had done that, yet when I failed to obey the verse, I allowed Satan to spray-paint a big letter L, for loser, all over my mind. Another weakness of mine is not immediately receiving God’s forgiveness when I’ve blown it. Yet Scripture says, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9). That was just what I needed that night, not self-condemnation from the enemy.
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God’s Word is a powerful weapon against sin and against the enemy of our souls and marriages. But I need to know how to really make it work for me and my marriage. Following are some basic principles that help open the door to letting God’s Word effectively change me.
1. God’s Word can’t work if I don’t use it. Pray for God to help me listen and stay calm. And if I find myself moving into defensive action, ask for a break.
2. I must remember that the heart is deceitful above all things. When issues arise, I’m my number-one fan. But my reality isn’t reality at all. I’ll always side with myself: the way I think, the way I interpret things or people, and the way I act. My skewed thinking is not truth. God’s Word is truth! Being easily hurt or carelessly hurting others can easily be passed off as “the other person’s issue.” Hearts cannot be trusted!
3. I need to set myself up for success. How? I need to know my weaknesses. I need to have Scriptures available (by memory or in a handy place) so I can retrieve them when necessary. I had done that, yet when I failed to obey the verse, I allowed Satan to spray-paint a big letter L, for loser, all over my mind. Another weakness of mine is not immediately receiving God’s forgiveness when I’ve blown it. Yet Scripture says, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9). That was just what I needed that night, not self-condemnation from the enemy.