HOPE FOR THE HOME: The ABC's of Spiritual Maturity in Marriage Part V

Maturing in Marriage: We often hear in our Hope for the Home Conferences, “What is the secret of your marriage of over five decades?” We simply call it the “ABC's of Spiritual Maturity in Marriage.” This approach focuses on emphasizing positive qualities over negative ones and keeping our focus on the source of a successful and rewarding marriage – the word of God.

Jerry: 17. Quietness Over Quarreling - "Better is a dry morsel with quietness, Than a house full of feasting with strife." Proverbs 17:1. When was the last time you visited a home where when you left you thought, “That is what home life should be like.” There was no bickering, or arguing, or quarreling. You could feel a sense of serenity and peace in the family. It might have been at a very humble home. On the other side of the question, when was the last time you visited a home where tension, stress and anxiety hung heavily in the air? It might have been a home filled with every electronic gadget available and yet something was missing. The first home had calmness about it and the second home appeared to be in a state of confusion. What is the difference between the two homes? It is what fills the home that brings peace, tranquility, and contentment to it. One can have a house filled with feasting and empty people.

Becky: 18. Rejoicing Over Rejection - "Jesus said, rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:20b. The greatest happiness in marriage comes from having a spouse and children whose names are recorded in heaven. Every marriage has its clear mountain peaks and its misty clouded valleys. Heartbreak can happen at any moment. However, when your marriage and family have the flawless word of God as its foundation, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as its central focus and heaven as its hope you certainly have reason for rejoicing.

19. Jerry/Becky: Spiritual Over Secular - "speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,"   Ephesians 5:19. What type of music filters through your home. Is it positive and practical, or is it dismal and destructive? If you have children, do you know what style of music they have flooding their earbuds and filling their minds? More importantly than the genre of music is the message in the music. Music can set the mood, or ambiance in a home. One of the best ways to strengthen a marriage and fortify a family is to fill your home with music which glorifies God be it country, classical, or somewhere in between.

Jerry and his wife Becky are on American Family Radio weekdays at 4:20 PM (CT) and on Sundays at 5:35 PM (CT). Check out their resources for the family at HopefortheHome.org. Becky’s latest book, “The Bright Side of Blue” and Dr. Drace’s, “44 Ways to Strengthen Your Marriage” offer biblical principles and timely advice for dealing with the challenges and trials of life. You may order these and other resources by contacting them at: hopeforthehome@juno.com.