The Faith of a Warrior Wifeਨਮੂਨਾ

Marriage and intimacy go hand in hand. (Keep reading; this isn’t a sex talk.) Today, I want to point our hearts towards intimacy with God. We prayerfully give God just about everything—our kids, our ministries, our neighbors, and our finances. But, what about our marriages?

Sister, God is faithful in our marriages, too. But, we have to be willing to let Him have it, completely. The promise of James 4:8 reminds us of His invitation into intimacy, “Draw near to God and He will Draw near to you” (ESV). He alone knows every detail of the struggles and obstacles we face.

We can unknowingly become bound by emotions in our marriages. External pressures cause internal struggles. Those closest to us often become easy targets. We explode or we clam up. We can move from faith-filled to feelings-fueled in a flash. The enemy uses the constant war between faith and feelings to exploit the battle. The adversary gains ground in the midst of our doubt, fear, anger, and impatience.

When we allow our feelings to lead, we forget the power, goodness, and sovereignty of God. Emotions often lead to pride which tends to ignite our desire to fight for ourselves. What if, in those emotional moments, we trained ourselves to bow down, incline our hearts to worship, and set our minds to pray? Because “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17, ESV).

Let’s see our feelings as a signal, a battle cry, and a call to faith. Instead of reacting in emotion, we can learn to pause, turn to truth, and rest in the goodness of Christ. Allow our focus to shift from our momentary flashes of feelings to the steadfast sovereignty of our Savior. Instead of looking for reasons to defend ourselves, we can search for ways to lean into Jesus. Allow Him to direct the mission of our marriages. Gain strength from Christ to be the wife He calls us to be.

Sister, the enemy wants us bound by heated emotions. But God has the power to strengthen us and set us free to live and love with faith. This battle can be won in prayer and praise. Lift your hands in praise. Bow your heart in prayer. Settle into the strength of your Father who “is the same today, yesterday and forever” (Hebrews 13:8, NLT). Allow Christ to take the highest place in this most precious relationship.

Talk about it: How can you shift your focus and search for God in your marriage? Write down (on a sticky note or on your phone) one way that God can strengthen you as a wife.