Happily Ever After: Devotions From Time of GraceSample

When Your Marriage Is in Trouble: What if We’re Fighting All the Time? Sometimes people lament that they fight all the time, but the truth is that they like arguing. There’s a kind of sick thrill in push backs, zingers, and always getting in the last word. You can deflect shame and guilt for your own sins if you can tilt the floodlights on your partner’s transgressions, right? The reverse is just as bad--holding all that anger in, saving it up for a bigger explosion later. If you can’t or won’t forgive it and let it go, then speak softly about what’s on your mind as soon as possible. St. Paul writes, ‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4:26,27). The same person who coined the foolish cliche forgive and forget also gave birth to time heals all wounds. Time does nothing of the sort. It only stores up and ferments anger. Only the gospel love of Christ heals wounds. Only you can decide to let Christ calm your spirit and speak gently about what is hurting you.