Embracing the Fruit of the Spirit in your marriage “Gentleness” Part 8
January 9, 2016 by Elder/Minister DeBorrah K. Ogans
Filed under Marriage & Relationships
Embracing the Fruit of the Spirit within your marriage “Gentleness”
Part 8
The Fruit of the Spirit is actually a natural spontaneous occurrence that happens in our lives as we grow spiritually. Our character and personality is wonderfully shaped as we embrace God’s principles. The Fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.
Gentleness is important. Let’s now focus on the benefits of embracing gentleness within our marriage. You can develop a mutually beneficial symbiotically satisfying marital relationship where each partner is respected and appreciated!
Marriage is meant to be an endearing, beautiful, romantic, fulfilling, life long spiritual union coming together as one, between a man and a woman. Your marriage should be equally cherished by both of you. If this is not the case; time to get busy. You have some work to do. Dust off your vows, revisit, renew and now actually implement them within your marriage. Together working as a team, you can accomplish great things together!
Your marriage should be or should become a priority if this is not the case. Did you know that you and your spouse are actually copartners in a covenant agreement? You have made promises to one another that go much deeper than a piece of paper! Your marriage will be what you make it… Learning to be sensitive, caring and gentle will help you build a cohesive, enjoyable healthy interconnected marriage. The well-being of one another is a priority in this type of marriage. Embracing gentleness allows you to let your guard down with one another! Your weaknesses come to the forefront, and you become transparent and open with one another, and your trust deepens.
Marriage is meant to be an ongoing exciting lifelong quest together improving, growing, and becoming the best person you can be. You remain two separate individuals who are dedicated to growing together and working as an unbreakable team working side by side. You chastise and challenge one another. You also complement one another as well as build one another up!
Gentleness is important because it allows you not to hide behind the hard shield your personality must sometimes develops in order to protect yourself from the world and its influences. You must learn how to guard your heart. But within a good trusting marriage there is no need. For as your love deepens your heart remains open. You can instead allow your spouse to embrace you in a most tangible intimate way that is usually exclusively reserved for marriage. I must say you can enjoy one another even when you are not feeling well… You cannot even utter a word and one another knows how the other is feeling. Spiritual “ONENESS” in marriage helps you to always keep a level of respect for one another. You build healthy boundaries around your marriage. You both commit to do what is best for the marriage. This is why you should not just join yourself to anyone!
When you invite the Lord into your marriage together you are able to weather the multiplicity of storms that life brings your way. When you disagree, you stand firm, but you don’t allow bitterness and strife to permanently nest itself between you. When one is down the other spouse brings comfort and maintains a healthy nurturing environment. Give both gentle and firm embraces. Learn to hug one another with kind thoughtful words. Gentleness makes you come close in your romantic moments as well not just physically but emotionally. You learn to allow room for your love to manifest in many ways… It takes inner strength and security for Gentleness to be appropriately and sincerely expressed. In this case You both are truly equally yoked!
When you do not allow gentleness to become a part of your marriage your hearts instead harden. God’s love tenderizes our hearts. (He teaches us how to guard our hearts from outsiders who seek to bring discord or messiness. But keep it open to our spouses and loved ones…) When you are hard hearted whenever you disagree you often become divided and resentment and unforgiveness instead sets in. This is why so many marriages end in bitterness and divorce. Some bring a lot of that bitterness with them. This should not be. One may often remain faithful as the other ones drifts… Rather than work through their difficulties and storms they begin to pull you further apart.
There are spiritual benefits as you learn to walk in meekness. For meekness is power under control. You also are embracing gentleness & strength as you are exercising discipline and self-control. “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5
Marriage should not be full of drudgery hard harsh words continuous meaningless encounters and a lot of unhappiness. Life is too short. You want to make your own love story. Adding a bit of fairytale like charm here and there to your marriage is good. But keep it real! The difference is you are totally aware of life and reality. When you build your marriage upon trust, love, respect and embrace the Fruit of the Spirit your marriage will flourish and endure! Time is precious and it passes by every so quickly.
Marriage is the oldest traditional institution known to mankind designed by God. It is the foundational relationship upon which the family was built upon. As you practice gentleness in marriage it becomes a part of who you are! You are better able to balance out the harshness that life so often presents. You have an abiding peace and comfort level between you. The core of who you are is openly shared with your spouse and you know that both are totally exposed to the Lord! You also know that God really is Omnipresent. So, you both have committed to submitting to the Lord’s will and way in your lives by honoring your marriage vows. When a couple yields to the Lord His fruit will begin to multiply and manifests within their marriage. Gentleness allows your hearts to genuinely cleave together! What God has truly joined together man cannot pull apart…
Keep in mind; “GOD IS NOT THE AUTHOR of confusion” I Corinthians 14 It is never too late to give God His place within your marriage. Remember; After all you made a vow.
The last and next very important part of the Fruit of the Spirit is Self-Control. Embracing self-control will help you in every area of your life!
“But the Fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and …” Galatians 5.
