Day 26~ Love is Responsible

LOVE IS RESPONSIBLE

NUMBER 26

Romans 2:1

Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

Today is about personal responsibility.It is something we all agree others should have, but we struggle to maintain it ourselves. In our society there has been a huge decline in personal responsibility! We tend to think we are doing our best with our given circumstances.

Things to remember 

*Love doesn't pass the blame.

Read Proverbs 17:10

* Love is not so easily concerned with it's own performance.

*Love doesn't make excuses.

*Love keeps working to make a difference.

*Love is responsible and willing to admit fault.

*Love calls us to: Love, honor, and cherish.

*Love desires to have the right relationship with God and our mate.

Be ready to admit when you are wrong and ask for forgiveness.

Read 1 John 1:8-9

Things to do

Ask God to show you where you have failed in your responsibility, get it right with Him first. Then get it right with your spouse.

Note from Brandie

When I fully committed to this step, it made a huge difference. I really struggle with saying I am sorry. There were times when I would even say sorry when it was not my fault, just to make peace. This step is when I saw a big change. A verse I memorized that really helped was, 'Love covers a multitude of sins '(1 Peter 4:8). Another verse that has been huge is "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

(Prov 15:1)"

TODAY'S DARE

Take time to pray through your areas of wrongdoing. Ask God for forgiveness, then humble yourself enough to admit them to your partner. No matter how they respond, make sure you cover your responsibility in love. Even if they respond with criticism, accept it by receiving it as councel.

Ask yourself......

What does my mate need in order to see and believe that I am not just using words, but am sincere?

Dare To Love: Day 25~ Love Forgives

Dare To Love: Day 25~ Love Forgives

Day 25~ Love Forgives

I really encourage you to get the book...It is well worth it especially for this chapter in the book! I am only going to type of a few of the things that stuck out.

2 Corinthians 2:10

To whom ye forgive any thing, I [forgive] also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave [it], for your sakes [forgave I it] in the person of Christ;

Forgiveness MUST happen, or a successful marriage won't!

Matthew 18:34

And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

Torture is prison. When you think of unforgiveness, this is what should come to your mind, for Jesus said , "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."

(Matthew 18:35)

When you forgive another person, you are not turning them loose. You're just turning them over to God, who can be counted on to deal with them his way. You're saving yourself the trouble of scripting any more arguments or trying to prevail in this situation. It's not about winning and losing anymore. It's about freedom. It's about letting go. That's why you often hear people who have genuinely forgiven say, "It felt like a weight being lifted off my shoulders."

Romans 12:9

[Let] love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

How do we do this?

You release your anger and the responsibility for judging this person to the Lord.

Romans 12:19

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

How do you know you've done it?

You know it when the thought of their name or the sight of their face- rather than causing your blood to boil- causes you to feel sorry for them instead, to pity them, to genuinely hope they get this turned around.

1 Corinthians 13:5

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

DARE

WHATEVER YOU HAVEN'T FORGIVEN IN YOUR MATE, FORGIVE IT TODAY. LET IT GO. JUST AS WE ASK JESUS TO "FORGIVE US OUR DEBTORS" EACH DAY AS WELL. UNFORGIVENESS HAS BEEN KEEPING YOU AND YOUR SPOUSE IN PRISON TO LONG. SAY FROM YOUR HEART, " I CHOOSE TO FORGIVE."

Day 24~ Love VS Lust

1 John 2:17

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

There is a progression . LUST

EYES-To HEART-To ACTION..then to shame and regret

Lust is the opposition to love. It means to set your heart and passion on something forbidden. For a believer it is the first step out of fellowship with the Lord and with others. The person or thing you lust after seems to promise a sheer satisfaction, but is more like a bottomless pit of unmet longings.

Lust breeds more lust.

James 4:1-2

From whence [come] wars and fightings among you? [come they] not hence, [even] of your lusts that war in your members Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

It breeds anger, numb hearts, and destroys marriages.

Let's read 2 Peter 1:3-4

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Are you tired of being lied to by lust? Then begin to set your eyes on the Word of God. Let His promises of peace and freedom work their way into your heart.

Whole you're at it, set your eyes and heart on your spouse again. (Read Proverbs 5:18-21)

Today's Dare

Identify every object of lust in your life and remove it. Single out every lie you've swallowed in pursuing forbidden pleasure and reject it. Lust cannot be allowed to live in a back bedroom. It must be killed and destroyed today, an replaced with the sure promised of God and a heart filled with His perfect love.

Day 23~Love Always Protects

1 Corinthians 13:7

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Marriage is made up of several things including: joy, sorrow, successes, and failures.

There are many battles in marriage. As a wife or a husband we must expect marriage at times to be a battlefield. Your marriage has enemies out there!

Harmful influence: Are you allowing certain habits to poison your home? The internet and television can be productive and enjoyable additions to your life, but they can also bring in destructive content and drain away precious hours from your family.

Unhealthy Relationships: Who are the people you are hanging out with or talking to during your day? Not all relationships are healthy. If these people undermine your marriage then it is a sure sign that they are NOT people you should be hanging out with. Are you friends with the opposite sex?

Shame: You need to protect your wife or husband's vulnerability by never speaking negatively about them in public.

Parasites: A parasite is anything that latches onto you or your partner and sucks the life out of your marriage. Examples: gambling, pornography, drugs, ect. Marriages rarely survive if parasites are present.

Read Ezekiel 34:8

Today's Dare

REMOVE ANYTHING THAT IS HINDERING YOUR RELATIONSHIP, ANY ADDICTION OR INFLUENCE THAT'S STEALING YOUR AFFECTIONS AND TURNING YOUR HEART AWAY FROM YOUR SPOUSE.

Interested?

I have received a few request to finish the love dare challenge. I you are interested please send me a note at brwaau38@yahoo.com

Day 22 Love Dare

Love Is Faithful

Hosea 2:20

I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.

The account of the prophet Hosea is one of the most remarkable in the Bible. Against all logic and propriety, God instructed him to marry a prostitute. He wanted Hosea's marriage to show what Heaven's unconditional love looks like towards us.

Jesus called us to this kind of love in the passage known as the Sermon on the Mount. He said to " love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you"(Luke 6:27-28).

Today's Dare

Love is a choice, not a feeling. It is an initiated action, not a knee-jerk reaction. Choose today to be committed to love even if your spouse has lost most of their interest in receiving it. Say to them today in words similar to these, "I love you. Period. I choose to love you even if you don't love me in return."