Hope Through Healing

🔒 Guarding and Protecting Your Marriage Marriage is one of God’s most beautiful designs. It is a covenant meant to reflect Christ’s love for His church (Ephesians 5:25-32). Because of that, it is also one of the enemy’s primary targets. Satan’s strategy is simple: divide, distract, and destroy. If a marriage is weakened, the family feels the impact, the church feels the impact, and future generations feel the impact. Guarding your marriage is not a passive choice; it is an intentional, ongoing commitment rooted in obedience to God. 1️⃣ Put God First – Always. Many couples live an outwardly “Christian” life, attending church, volunteering, and even serving, yet still allow careers, finances, possessions, or personal goals to take priority over their relationship with God. When God is simply added to life instead of being the focus of life, the foundation is unstable. Jesus commanded, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) When God is first, priorities align, decisions flow from His wisdom, and selfish desires lose their grip. Putting God first means making time for Him daily, both individually and together as a couple. It means letting Scripture, not culture, set the standard for your home. 2️⃣ Remember the Battle Is Spiritual. The challenges in marriage are not just emotional or circumstantial; they are spiritual. Scripture warns, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12) Satan works subtly, often planting seeds of doubt, comparison, or dissatisfaction long before open conflict appears. It is not enough to be present in church services. Couples must actively engage in the Word of God and in prayer together. These disciplines help reveal the enemy’s lies before they take root, strengthen the spiritual covering over the marriage, and create a shared foundation of truth when conflict comes. 3️⃣ Meet Each Other’s Core Needs. God has designed the marital relationship so that husbands and wives complement each other’s deepest needs. A wife’s greatest need is to feel loved sacrificially (Ephesians 5:25), and a husband’s greatest need is to feel respected and honored (Ephesians 5:33). When these needs go unmet, frustration builds, communication breaks down, and both spouses become vulnerable to seeking fulfillment outside the marriage. This could be in another relationship, in a career, in hobbies, or in unhealthy behaviors. The cycle is dangerous because unmet needs feed hurt, hurt feeds distance, and distance feeds temptation. Healthy, honest, and respectful communication is the safeguard that keeps hearts connected. Love and respect are not feelings to wait for; they are choices to live out daily. Even in disagreement, tone and attitude can either build bridges or build walls. 4️⃣ Leave Room for God to Work. When hurt runs deep, the natural human reaction is to retaliate or shut down. But God’s way is different: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21) Avoid making decisions in anger that could close the door to reconciliation. Words spoken in the heat of the moment can cut so deeply that they take years to heal. Show grace, even when it feels undeserved, just as Christ has shown grace to you. Place the pain at the foot of the cross, trust God’s timing, and allow Him to work in ways only He can. His grace can heal wounds that seem beyond repair. Sometimes this means taking a pause before speaking. Sometimes it means quietly praying for your spouse instead of arguing. And sometimes it means letting go of the need to “win” so that God can win in the bigger picture. ❤️ Final Encouragement: Guard your marriage as you would guard a priceless treasure, because in God’s eyes, it is. Keep God at the center, stay rooted in His Word, protect each other’s hearts, and extend grace daily. The enemy’s attacks are inevitable, but a Christ-centered marriage, anchored in Scripture and fueled by unconditional love, can withstand any storm. When both husband and wife fight for their marriage together, with God as their strength, no weapon formed against them will prosper (Isaiah 54:17).

Waiting Well: Learning to Be Still Before the Lord One of the hardest lessons in the Christian life is this: God often asks us to wait. Not because He’s punishing us, and not because He’s ignoring us, but because He’s doing something in us while we wait. Growth happens in the stillness. Transformation begins in the tension between what we know about God and whether we trust Him. Most of us know Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” It’s one of the most quoted partial verses in the Bible, and I think one of the most misunderstood. We’ve turned it into a quiet-time motto or a cozy morning coffee caption for a social media post. But this verse isn’t just about serenity, it’s about surrender. It’s not a call to mindfulness. It’s a command to stop striving and recognize that God is in charge, not us. Psalm 46 is written during a time of upheaval. The earth is shaking, the nations are in uproar, and chaos surrounds God’s people. Right in the middle of the panic, God says: “Stop. Be still. Know that I am God. When we look at different translations of “Be still”, the message is crystal clear: • “Stop fighting…” (CSB) • “Be at peace in the knowledge…” (BBE) In other words: Put down your sword. Stop trying to fix what only I can redeem. Quit acting like you’re in control. Look up and remember who I am. Stillness isn’t weakness. It’s spiritual strength. I see people every week who are emotionally exhausted from trying to control outcomes, defend themselves, or carry burdens that were never theirs to bear. If that’s you today, God’s Word has some powerful truths for your heart: 1. When You Feel Attacked... Be Quiet and Let God Fight for You. Exodus 14:14 says, “The LORD will fight for you; you must be quiet.” Israel was trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army. Fear screamed louder than faith. But God wasn’t panicked. He was working a plan for His glory and their deliverance. What if your situation today is less about escape and more about obedience? Sometimes the most courageous thing you can do is stand still, trust God, and let Him be your defender. Pause and reflect: What are you trying to fight in your own strength? Where do you need to be quiet and trust God to show up? 2. When You Feel Afraid... Let God Quiet You With His Love. Zephaniah 3:17 gives us a powerful image: “The LORD your God is among you, a warrior who saves... He will quiet you with His love. He will delight in you with singing.” This is the tenderness of God that often gets overlooked. He’s not just mighty in battle; He’s near in our fear. He doesn’t just rescue us; He rejoices over us. Imagine a scared child, trembling in their mother’s arms after being saved from harm. After the rescue comes the comfort. After the battle, the embrace. God is like that. The same hand that delivers is the one that soothes and holds. 3. When You Feel Chased by Life... Let the Shepherd Lead You to Quiet Waters. Psalm 23:2 says, “He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.” David knew what it meant to be pursued by enemies, guilt, regret, even his own failures. But the Shepherd didn’t just help him escape. He led him into rest, renewal, and purpose. In a noisy world full of constant pressure, quiet waters are a gift only God can give. Ask yourself: What’s been chasing you, fear, regret, shame, pressure? Has God already offered you rest, but you're still running? Why? 4. When You Can’t Make Sense of It All... Rest in the Peace that Surpasses Understanding. Philippians 4:7 reminds us: “And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Peace doesn’t mean everything is okay. It means your heart is guarded, even when you may feel it’s not. There’s no promise in Scripture that we’ll avoid hardship. But there is a promise that if we bring our worries to God in prayer and trust Him, His peace will stand guard over our thoughts and emotions. Let me ask you today: What if your season of waiting is the very place God wants to work the most deeply in your life? What if your job right now isn’t to “do more” but to “be still”? Are you trying to fix, fight, or flee when God is calling you to rest, trust, and wait? Friend, the waiting may feel like silence but it’s actually sacred ground. God isn’t delaying to punish you. He’s preparing you to know Him more deeply, trust Him more completely, and experience peace more fully than ever before. Be still. Be quiet. Be loved. Be at peace. Wait well and know that He is God.

Set the Standard, Don’t Match the Energy I came across a quote from Ryan Leak that hit me right between the eyes: “Don’t match the energy. Set the standard.” He shared a story about forgetting to ask for BBQ sauce at an airport restaurant. When he requested it after paying, the server told him it would be 75 cents. Instead of getting irritated, Ryan tipped the guy $10 on top of the small charge. The server's whole attitude changed in an instant. Ryan said he wasn’t going to let someone else’s pettiness set the tone for his day. He chose to set the standard. As believers in Christ, how often do we find ourselves matching the world’s negativity instead of setting the standard for godly behavior? We’ve been given the greatest gift imaginable, eternal life through Jesus Christ. Why would we ever stoop to the standards of a fallen world when we are called to reflect the character of God? Paul gave this charge to a young Timothy: “Don’t let anyone despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.” — 1 Timothy 4:12 In other words: Don’t react. Lead. Don’t match. Model. Don’t stoop. Rise. And let’s be honest, no one’s calling me “young” anymore, but this call still applies! At any age, God’s standard is our standard. Let’s take a moment to examine our lives. Are we setting the standard or just mirroring the world? Our Speech Should Be: • Edifying “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” — Ephesians 4:29 • Kind “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” — Proverbs 15:1 • Measured “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” — James 1:19 • Gracious “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” — Colossians 4:6 • Truthful “Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another.” — Ephesians 4:25 Our Conduct Should Be: • Full of Good Works “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” — Matthew 5:16 • Honorable “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” — 1 Peter 2:12 • Dedicated to God “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” — Colossians 3:23 Our Love Should Be: • Sacrificial “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” — John 13:34 • Reflective of God “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” — 1 John 4:7-8 • Unconditional “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” — 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Our Faith Should: • Give Hope “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” — Hebrews 11:1 • Provide Guidance “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” — 2 Corinthians 5:7 • Produce Perseverance “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” — James 1:2-3 Our Purity Helps Us: • Experience God's Presence “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” — Matthew 5:8 • Grow in Dependence on God “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” — Psalm 51:10 • Be Useful to God “So if anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable, he will be a special instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” — 2 Timothy 2:21 As believers, we should never settle for what the world considers “good enough.” “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” — Romans 12:2 Let’s be people who set the standard, not with pride, but with purpose. Not to impress, but to reflect the character of Christ.