Day 5: Growth and Stability

When you make it to stage 5 in your relationship, you begin to experience relationship renewal as you work together to help each other reach your potential. Making it to this phase is the result of finally acknowledging all of the ways you both sabotaged the relationship and determining to get out of your own way. Thankfully, your past failures don’t have to dictate your future happiness. God can use old failures to build new futures.

The biggest pitfall of this stage is resentment from hurt incurred in the previous phases of your relationship. Offenses can pile up. It is tempting to keep a scorecard of old wounds, old conversations, and old hurtful words. But in a godly relationship, it’s not about keeping score; it’s about losing count. Our scripture in Ecclesiastes says, “Do not take to heart all the things that people say….” That means the choice is yours to keep score. You can keep a running tab of every way your spouse has wronged you and every word spoken that has hurt you, or you can choose to release and forgive, following Jesus’ example. While He was dying for those who were hurling words of offense at him, He pleaded for God’s forgiveness on their behalf!

Rip up the list of resentments if you want to experience resurrection in your relationship. Forgive, release, and let go to advance to stage 6.