The Joy of Conflict

Ladies,

Happy Sunday! Hope you taking time to rest and relax from the "business" of life. Since you have taken time to read today I want to send you a word of encouragment.

I am a women who LOVES the Lord and His Word. I mean I could abandon all things (family, friends, all material things, even food for a time) and just devote my whole life to being with my heavenly father. We all have our passions. I even have many interst but nothing comes close the the way I crave me some Jesus! My sister joked with me that I would make a great nun. I laughed but in the midst of my laugh God spoke to my heart and this is what He said..."You would be too sad without Mike (my husband/picture above) because he challenges you the most in your walk with me." Thank you Lord for using my husband, the man I have pledged to spend the rest of my life with, to spur me into a deeper walk with you.

In the conflict, the highs and lows, the simple and complex, our marriages test every part of who we are and want to be. It is easy to wear a mask around those we see on a less intimate level. You may have tried to "play" some role in the beginning of your marriage, but too quickly the real you and the real him was exposed. I mean really, you are literally naked before this person! The encouragment is this:

1) When Jesus enters your life something "good" begins. God always finishes what He starts! Phillipians 1:6 "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus"

2) ALL conflict in your marriage should be looked at with JOY!
James 1:2-4"Consider it all joy, my sisters (annie's change), when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

3) God desires you are lacking in nothing. I will personally testify that trials have equipped me to the place I am now and without them I would be lacking in so many ways!!

SO WHAT? Apply these truth and let the Spirit of God change your heart today. Pray and ask him to show you where you are not looking at life's testings with Joy.

Looking Up,
Annie

By the way, if you do not know what it means to know Jesus and have His Spirit living in you please email me (anniemendrala@aol.com) so I can share with you the life changing reality of knowing Christ as your savior.