Our trustworthiness rests on our truthfulness. When Teddy Roosevelt was a cattle rancher, he and a new cowboy were riding across a section of his land when they came across a maverick, an unbranded yearling from a neighboring ranch. It had wandered onto Teddy’s land, and he instructed the cowboy to brand it with his…
Communicating Love and Respect in Marriage
God’s way of communicating in marriage is to talk with words of unconditional love and respect. “If,” comments a wife, “I’m in the middle of a conversation with my husband that has the potential to become heated and a negative thought about my husband enters my mind, I remember the simple advice in Love and…
There Will Be Troubles: The Secret to Appreciating Your Marriage
But those who marry will have trouble in this life. — 1 Corinthians 7:28 In the book of Corinthians, Paul warns us of the responsibilities, involvements, and, yes, the troubles that come with marriage. When I quote 1 Corinthians 7:28 at our conferences, many in the audience chuckle, as if they understand perfectly what Paul…
Why Communication Is NOT the Key to Your Marriage
Someone who only speaks German cannot communicate with someone who only speaks Spanish. Each needs to learn the other’s vocabulary. Communication can only happen when there is mutual understanding. Communication is not the key to marriage. Mutual understanding is the key to a successful marriage. Based on Ephesians 5:33, wives speak the language of love and husbands…
The Real Meaning of Unconditional Love
There is no condition that causes me to be unloving or disrespectful. In other words, if I am unloving or disrespectful, it is not because of certain circumstances caused by others that make me react unlovingly or disrespectfully. I choose to be harsh, independent of the circumstances. As one parent admitted to me: “We tend to be Christlike when the…
Stopping the Family Crazy Cycle
We have all seen the movie thrillers where the time bomb is ticking away and the hero has a few seconds to cut the right wire. Just before the final second passes, he defuses the bomb and shuts down the detonating device. Whew! Catastrophe averted! In a real sense parents face defusing situations many times…
Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Your Anger
In your anger do not sin: Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. — Ephesians 4:26-27 Christian maturity involves a lot of things, but surely it includes knowing how to process your anger. In fact, I believe there is no more dangerous emotion…