Wednesday, February 24, 2010

February 24, 2010

"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor." Romans 12:10
Well here I go with another "Momism". The theme of this verse reminded me of it.
My mother always says, "A person wrapped up in himself makes a pretty small package
Our third challenge to the "Love Dare" in addition to patience and kindness is the challenge of overcoming selfishness. And since we are all selfish by nature, we face an uphill battle against selfishness.
I'm sure we can agree that two selfish people entering an intimate relationship like marriage is not a formula for success. In fact, every marriage that fails is due in some way to selfishness contaminating the relationship. Since the church also consists of intimate relationships, selfisness can also be destructive there.
So, what is the "unselfish" or "anti-selfish" thing to do for your marriage spouse?
Devote yourself to your partner. The word means to "earnestly attach" yourself to someone or something. It means to throw yourself entirely into the relationship and not have a backup plan. Devotion means that you "earnestly attach" yourself to your spouse with no thought or plan for detatching.
In addition, the Scripture says you must "honor" your spouse. That means that you regard them with respect and give them worth. That starts with adjusting your attitude and thinking to affirm that your marriage is worth your best effort and your spouse is worth your highest respect.
Here's the bottom line for this third Love Dare challenge - your marriage IS NOT ABOUT YOU! You marriage is about honoring God and your partner by keep the promises you have made. It is about living in devotion and honor for God and receiving His unconditional love. When you do that you will get over your selfishness and love your spouse.
Get over yourself.