This week, we are looking at Chapter 7-9 of Women Living Well. As I mentioned last week, I am not married yet, but I am looking forward to the day that I am and I still found chapter 7 especially helpful. Chapters 8 and 9 provide 2 weeks of challenges to do for your husband. If you are married, I encourage you to check them out. Courtney has identified some great ways for women to encourage their husbands and to help build them up.
Chapter 7 is entitled “Banishing Bitterness to Find Happily Ever After.” This chapter particularly hit home for me because I tend to be a very critical person. It’s one of the things I like least about myself. For me, it was important to hear from someone else how this can affect a marriage. I do not want to allow bitterness to build in my heart and then to have a negative impact on my future marriage.
Bitterness starts in the heart, as Courtney points out: “How we handle our husbands’ shortcomings reveals more about our own character than our husbands’.” Once we allow room in our hearts, it affects our actions. Often, the bitterness builds over unmet expercations. We are often filled with ideas of what marriage should look like and forget that it is a union between two sinners. We must let go of our expectations for a perfect marriage where problems never exist. Instead, we must extend grace to ourselves and to those whom we love.
I want to start now by filtering my thoughts through Philipians 4:8: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” This is one of the verses I learned when I was younger and it has stuck with me in my memory, but I want to make sure that it becomes evident in my thoughts and actions, too. By filtering my thoughts through these phrases, I am able to root out the bitterness before it can find its footing.
Take the time today to make Philipians 4:8 into a prayer for yourself, that you might filter your thoughts and take captive those that do not honor God.
Also, stop by Women Living Well to view more of Courtney’s thoughts and those of others in the Forum.
Courtney (@WomenLivingWell) says
Beautiful post Stephanie full of reminders I need to read over and over. We never master these things – but with God’s help we can grow more and more like Him.
Keep walking with the King!
Lots of Love,
Courtney
Stephanie Adele says
Thanks Courtney! I am learning so much through your book. I’m so glad God led you to share!