Aftershock - Take Care of YourselfSample

Be Responsible for Yourself, Not Others

Like many wives, Anita was so focused on her husband’s infidelity that she totally neglected herself. She spent all of her energy either trying to win his affection or punish him for his behavior. Before she could start to take care of herself, she needed to believe a very important fact: Her husband’s behavior was not her fault. You also need to believe this fact: Your husband’s behavior is neither your fault nor yours to fix.

Many wives go to great lengths to change themselves in hopes of regaining their husband’s fidelity. They may alter their physical appearance, their spending habits, their domestic skills, or their performance in bed. Anita tried everything she could think of, but nothing worked. She didn’t realize that her thinking was based on the myth that she could change herself enough to restore her husband’s faithfulness to till death parted them.

You could be an absolutely terrible wife, and your husband could still decide to keep his marital vows. On the other hand, you could be Wonder Woman, and he might still betray you. His choices are his responsibility. Your responsibility is to be the woman God created you to be. And you need to realize that God didn’t create you to take care of your husband and everyone else but neglect yourself to the destruction of your own well-being. You are the daughter of the King, the beloved of your Father, the redeemed of the Lord.

You won’t feel any of those truths if you’re stumbling along regretting or being preoccupied with your passive or aggressive reactions. That’s what Anita was struggling with. But eventually, she realized that her reactions of passivity or aggression weren’t helping her at all. Exhausted and confused, she yearned for some stability.

In the devotions ahead, we’ll discuss how to take good care of yourself emotionally, physically, and spiritually.