with Pastor Terrell
“The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’”
~ Genesis 2:18 (NIV) ~
TREATYOUR MATE TOABETTER MARRIAGE
The outspoken feminist activist and publisher Gloria Steinem once said, “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.” She also often referred to marriage as “legalized oppression.” Her attitude throughout her career has been, basically, “men who needs them?” Well, apparently Ms. Steinem decided that men aren’t so bad after all. In fact, she found one she planned to keep for awhile. In September 2000 the founder of Ms. Magazine officially became a Mrs… she got married! She remained married until 2003, when her husband passed away.
It makes you wonder: What is the appeal of marriage, that someone who has blasted the institution for almost 40 years would suddenly decide that she wants it for herself?
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not criticizing her. I hope she and her late husband had all the happiness in the world during their short marriage. But, isn’t it interesting that after saying for so many years that she didn’t want or need a man in her life, she later decided that she did?
Interesting, but not surprising, because the Bible teaches that we are created to desire this kind of companionship. In fact, after God had created the first man, he said
“It is not good for the man to be alone.”
~ Genesis 3:18 (NIV) ~
We were made to be together, to have someone to share our lives with, to love, to grow old with. For most people, that’s God’s plan not to spend your life alone, but with a mate.
Notice I said “for most people.” If you’re single, let me quickly interject a couple of things.
First, being single doesn’t mean you’re missing out on God’s will. Chances are you’ll eventually meet someone you want to share the rest of your life with. If it doesn’t happen, it’s because God has something better planned for you, not something less.
Second, if you’re single, I encourage you not to be in a rush to get married. You’re exactly where God wants you to be right now. And, frankly, you’re right where a lot of married people wish they could be. Marriage counselors hear it again and again: “If only we had waited a little while longer ... if only we hadn’t been in such a rush to get married.”
If you’re single, take your time. Hopefully my blog today will help you prepare for the day when you take that step.
If you’re already married, today’s blog will help you relate to your spouse in such a way that it strengthens your marriage.
It takes two people to make a great marriage. Some of you are in a situation in which the person you’ve married isn’t interested in improving the partnership. Frankly, there’s nothing you can do about that. You can’t change your spouse. (It’s been said that a woman marries a man hoping he’ll change, a man marries a woman hoping she won’t, and they’re both wrong.)
You can’t change your spouse, but you can change the way you treat your spouse. Even though it takes two to make a great marriage, it only takes one to make a marriage better. And if you make some changes in the way you relate to your spouse, chances are he or she will take notice and become more cooperative.
So, here are three ways you can treat your mate to a better marriage. They’re found in the second chapter of Genesis. You’re probably familiar with the story. There’s an old joke about how it took place. God created man, took a long look at him and said, “I think I can do better” and then created woman. That’s not exactly how it happened. The way it did happen teaches us the first principle in how we should treat our spouse.
1. Treat Your Spouse as Your Soul Mate.
The key to treating your spouse as a soul mate is asking the question, "What about us? What about our needs?" Before the marriage you lived separate lives; now you have become one.
That's what the Bible says.
“... they will become one flesh.”
~ Genesis 2:24 (NIV) ~
2. Treat Your Spouse as Your Top Priority.
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife...”
~ Genesis 2:24 (NIV) ~
The word that is translated “cleave” in the King James, and “be united” in NIV is, in the Hebrew, based on the root of the word glue.
Do you realize what the Bible is saying? You’re to be stuck with each other.
3. Treat Your Spouse with Unconditional Acceptance.
“The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.”
~ Genesis 2:25 (NIV) ~
Your spouse needs unconditional acceptance. Just as God accepts you unconditionally, you need to accept your spouse. Just as God forgives you completely, you need to forgive your spouse. Give your spouse the freedom to be transparent with you, without risk of shame.
Blessings on your week. May we all both give and receive the unconditional acceptance we need. I do look forward to seeing you this Sunday, as we look at MEN. WOMEN. GLORY OF GOD.
Pastor Terrell
P. S. We are almost there. This coming Wednesday we will begin our 12-Day Devotional Reading Plan together: JOURNEY TO THE CROSS. I am inviting all of you to join me on this journey. We will be doing this on the YouVersion app. If you have not done so yet, download YouVersion on your phone, tablet, or computer. Then send me a friend request. If you have already done that, you will be good to go. On Wednesday morning (March 20) I will send out the link for you to log into our group. If you choose to, you can just open the app and go through the devotion yourself but I hope you will choose to go the group route.
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Deacon of the Week:
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ScheduleforSunday,March17,2024:
The Saints Class @ 9:00 AM Room #201
Ruth Class @ 9:00 AM Room #202
Prayer Room open @ 9:00 AM Room #206
Preschool Worship opens in KID CITY 10:15 AM
Morning Worship In-Person & Online @ 10:30 AM in Worship Center
Kidz4Christ K-6th dismissed during Morning Worship Schedulefortherestoftheweek:
Tuesday@ 10:00 AM Men’s Bible Study Room #202; The 10 Women’s Bible Study Fellowship Hall
Wednesday@ 6:20 PM CHOIR REHEARSAL Worship Center @ 6:30 PM Youth Group Fellowship Hall
Thursday@ 6:00 PM Mid-Week Bible Study and Prayer
Friday @ 2:00 PM Good News Club at Franklin Phonetic School
Morning Worship at a glance
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Kidz4Christ dismissed
2820 N. Pleasant View Drive
Prescott Valley, AZ 86314
928-772-7218
fsbcpv@firstsouthernpv.org
www.firstsouthernpv.org
Church Office Hours:
Monday - Thursday, 8:30AM - 2:30PM
Senior Pastor Terrell Eldreth: 619-244-6265
PastorTerrell@firstsouthernpv.org
Worship Pastor Bart Young
928-254-8713
PastorBart@firstsouthernpv.org