5 Days to Freedom from Anger in Your MarriageSample

DAY 3: When You Are Weary and Exhausted

Our marriage triggers become marriage testers. The test of weariness and exhaustion makes or breaks us. If you feel this way, there is hope. We find help to go from triggered to triumphant in I Peter 2:21 (ESV) where the apostle Peter guides us toward godly thinking. He writes:

“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.”

Christ is our example. That’s a lot to aspire to, isn’t it? Nevertheless, God doesn’t give us an “out” in times of weariness and exhaustion. When He was cursed, He blessed. When needy crowds pressed in relentlessly, He made Himself available. When they were hungry, He fed them. When they needed correction, He lovingly but boldly gave it to them. When they hurt Him, He forgave them. When He needed sleep, He pressed on. When He suffered, He kept the eternal picture in mind. He kept you and me in mind.

On our wedding days, we promised to love and cherish our spouses.  In order to do that well, we can’t just pull ourselves up by our bootstraps when the going gets rough. Allowing Jesus to care for us enables us to care for our spouses.

Matthew 11:28 (ERV) says: “Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest.”

Your burdens may feel anything but light today. God is not trying to make light of your circumstances. He wants you to see your circumstances through His light. We are not helpless or forgotten in our times of need. Jesus knows the number of hairs on your head. Why would He take such care to count them if they were not precious to Him? Don’t allow an hour to go by before taking your cares to Jesus. Because the Bible is our Daily Bread, we become malnourished spiritually if we neglect it. Spending time with the Lord refreshes our spirits and strengthens us to face both our trials and our triggers.

If you feel triggered by the weariness and exhaustion of your circumstances, you won’t be able to combat your anger and frustration until you lay your burden down at the feet of Jesus. Jesus asks us to learn from Him. To take note of how gentle and humble He is. In the same way that our angry reactions typically spark even bigger angry reactions in our spouses, Jesus’ gentle and humble spirit rubs off on us, producing a supernatural steadiness of heart and mind.

As we give our weariness to the Lord, His gentleness becomes our gentleness. His humility is reflected in our own. As we grow in character, exhaustion gives way to strength upon strength, equipping us with the ability to overcome the temptation to lash out in frustration.

The husband and wife who are followers of Christ never have to operate on empty or be quick to anger. We are promised the fruit of supernatural strength and given an example in the person of Jesus Christ.

The heart filled with godly character has very little room for angry reactions. Let’s accept the invitation to “come” to the Lord and find rest for our souls by demonstrating gentleness and humility in our marriages as trust in Him.

Let’s Pray: Lord Jesus, thank You for being an example to us. You hold the answer to all our marriage problems. You know how we feel. Thank You for inviting us to come. We beg of You to help us grow in gentleness and humility. Lord, give us a desire to put our husband or wife’s needs before our own. As we pour out, let us be filled supernaturally with Your rest. Let us love one another deeply, letting go of anger and resentment. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!