Fear and Faith
WLCC weekly bulletin to help you start your week with a smile.
COVID-19 and Your Marriage
How are you doing? How are you and your spouse doing as a couple? Seeing yourself and your spouse as a team may never have been more important than it is now. Stress levels are high. Fear can affect us in many ways. When we let stress overwhelm us and let our fears lead us to dark places, we can be isolated. We can be short, we can get angry, and we can withdraw.
If you are experiencing any of these, big red flags should be going up. The good news is that you do not have to stay there. In our marriage vows we said things like “for better or for worse,” “for richer or poorer,” “in sickness and in health.” The intent was that whatever we face, we face it together. Ecclesiastes says that, “two are better than one.” Today is the day to come together with God and commit to being a team that is inseparable. That is your One Thing for today.
Today’s One Thing:
As a couple, come together with God and commit to being a team that is inseparable!
DON’T JUST SURVIVE! – Your Marriage Was Meant To Thrive!
If you like these series of tips and want to receive your One Thing Email please sign up at http://awesomemarriage.com/onething (It’s free!)
The Faith to Endure
Suffering produces endurance………Romans 5:3
Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922) led an unsuccessful expedition to cross Antarctica in 1914. When his ship, aptly named Endurance, became trapped in heavy ice in the Weddell Sea, it became an endurance race just to survive. With no means of communicating with the rest of the world, Shackleton and his crew used lifeboats to make the journey to the nearest shore—Elephant Island. While most of the crew stayed behind on the island, Shackleton and five crewmen spent two weeks traveling 800 miles across the ocean to South Georgia to get help for those left behind. The “failed” expedition became a victorious entry in the history books when all of Shackleton’s men survived, thanks to their courage and endurance.
The apostle Paul knew what it meant to endure. During a stormy sea voyage to Rome to face trial for his belief in Jesus, Paul learned from an angel of God that the ship would sink. But the apostle kept the men aboard encouraged, thanks to God’s promise that all would survive, despite the loss of the ship (Acts 27:23-24).
When disaster strikes, we tend to want God to immediately make everything better. But God gives us the faith to endure and grow. As Paul wrote to the Romans, “Suffering produces endurance” (Romans 5:3 esv). Knowing that, we can encourage each other to keep trusting God in hard times.
By Linda Washington
REFLECT & PRAY:
Heavenly Father, I need Your help to keep going, even when it’s tough.
Credit: Our Daily Bread