January 26, 2012

"The Power of a Supportive Spouse..."

This Cake Was Amazing!
I need to confess, my wife is stinking amazing & I have not fully appreciated her as often as I should. First of all, for my birthday on January 17th she not only was extremely affirming & encouraging, but she made me breakfast, showered me with love, made sure I had an amazing time at Buffalo Wild Wings, bought me a Captain America shirt & made me a Captain America cake!

At the beginning of the month we both started school. I’m working full-time, serving in ministry & taking two classes & she is going to school full-time, serving in ministry & working part time. With major transition comes major growth. For the first couple of weeks it was really hard, mostly because I didn’t take the time to see how I could meet my wife’s needs & how I could support her. But, last week we sat down and communicated.

You know, a lot of problems, arguments & misunderstandings can be alleviated
with loving, sincere & clear
communication.

Take Time To Talk...
And LISTEN....
I didn’t realize how much my wife was sacrificing as she has been supporting me with school, ministry & work. I also didn’t realize how much her support meant to me. Over the last couple weeks when I got home extremely late from class, went to bed extremely late from working on homework or got up super early to spend time with God or study she was there to tell me how proud she was of me. Not only that, but she has loving cleaned up my mess because I rushed out of the house. She has stood in prayer for my strength. And, she has packed me lunch, made dinner & made sure that I have been taken care of. All along, she has also made time to study, spend time with God, clean the house, put away clothes and more!!!

 At the same time, I didn’t realize how much I’m also supposed to stand with her, how much she looks for me to encourage her & how much we need each other. Recently she told she didn’t realize how much she feels emotionally supported by me. When she told me that I realized that I felt the same way about her, but hadn’t verbalized it like I should. I think we often appreciate in our hearts, but don’t allow it to become realized through our words & actions. It is definitely a skills & something to be worked at.

When God said,
“The two will become one flesh,” He meant it.


Bout to Eat BBQ in Texas...

It’s not about me completing the vision I think God has for my life or her just fulfilling the vision God has for her life; it’s about ‘us’ walking with God in the vision He has for our ‘life’ as one. Yes, we’re individuals and we like different things, have different personalities & think different, but He has called us to oneness.

One of the major ways that we walk in that oneness is standing in support of one another, believing for one another, encouraging one another & selflessly serving one another.

This married thing is a team thing.

I need her just as much as she needs me, the minute I think any different I have allowed pride to creep in & stepped into selfishness.

If my wife did not support me in school, ministry or work I know that I definitely would not be able to do it, or at least be able to do it the right way. The support of our spouse is so powerful! We are not only called to stand with our spouses, but to help release him or her into the fullness of God has him or him. Your support may release your spouse into discovering new gifts, pursuing new dreams & conquering fears that held him or her down his or her whole life! 

The support of our spouse could cause us to soar with strength we didn’t know we had,
run with endurance that we never
realized was in us and walk
in confidence as one who
could conquer the
world.

I encourage you to take some time to stop, think about how much he or she may be supporting you without you even recognizing it & intentionally choose to appreciate your spouse in word & action…

12 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. lol... yall are too :o) can't wait to hang out with yall soon!

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  2. Awesome! You are just an amazing guy. You deserved the best wife and you got her. Congratulations. Will try to read your post more often. Very inspiring! Continue to pray for my husband to one day open up his heart to God.

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    1. So glad that you were encouraged. Miss you & the kids so much! I know God is moving powerfully in your family!!! Keep loving, keep believing & keep being the woman God has called you to be!

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  3. "Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate." -Proverbs 31:31.

    Beautiful post =) Even more beautiful wife ;)

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  4. Dude, I am so encourgaed by this message. I had been working 3 jobs at one point in 2011. My mornings were spent with the Lord and the rest of the time I was working. Times were tough and I barely got to see my wife and kids. Because we stayed in close communion with eachother via prayer, phone, facebook, letters and church, we were able to "stay the course" and not fall back. Scripture says, "If we are willing and obedient we would eat the good of the land." I missed out on a lot of things for doing the right thing, but God has repeatedly made them up to us now. I am grateful to my wife. She was very strong in Christ despite having to deal with 5 kids, home schooling, cooking, cleaning, praying, teaching and pregnant with our 6th. I am now spending tons of time with her. She's amazing and super fun to be around. Date nights with her are always so full of life and laughter. God is just too good in our marriage!

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    1. wow, that's so encouraging bro. so excited about what God is doing in your family. me & pb talk about you tons. we love yall and are praying for you! thanks for sharing your heart!

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    2. Thanks Pastor, for your prayers and for thinking about us a ton. We love you and PB so much!

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  5. dude... i gotta find me a supporting spouse. :] loved this post brotha!

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    Replies
    1. amen bro! let's gooooooooo! i'm believing with you... lol... just get to work and reign in your Garden, watch as God does it!

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  6. PJ, I absolutely love this post! It is food to my soul and ammunition in preparation for my future wife whom I have yet to meet! Thank you for your words of wisdom that will help all single and married guys on how to love our future/present wives! You and Andrea are so blessed to have each other, and I am so looking forward to the time that you will become parents to the most beautiful and anointed children! Blessings to you bro, and know that I am standing with you and your wife in prayer and support for whatever you may need!

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