HOW TO BUILD A RICH WORD CULTURE IN YOUR HOME (5)
My mum-in-the-faith shared a powerful story some years back:
When her first child was still a toddler, something happened. She had taken time to clean up the house. When everywhere was sparkling clean, she stepped out momentarily leaving her toddler son in the room. Before she came back, the toddler had performed wonders- her living room was already scattered.
She was angry – visibly angry. As she expressed her anger, her toddler still came to her spreading his hands to be carried. The anger melted and she still carried her boy.
At that moment, the Holy Spirit threw in the puncher- “Can you do the same for your husband?”
That was her turning point when it came to dealing with her husband gracefully. God seized a moment to teach her a life lesson.
We also adopted the lesson in our marriage, and it has really helped us.
One of the things that can destroy any home is the absence of an understanding of grace. A man or woman who has touched the love of God must understand how to extend the same.
You must learn the art of responding gracefully. As you think of your spouses’ shortcomings, let the Lord remind you of yours also. If we remember at all times that we are recipients of grace, we find it easy to extend the same.
A man never treats his wife harshly. He must learn, like Apostle Peter taught, to dwell with her in understanding. If you think you are perfect and she has issues, it will reflect in your communication. You will speak without grace. You will extend pains instead.
There are men who sleep beside a wife who cried all night, and they are unaware. They even still demand intimacy without thinking deeply. She has mastered the art of bottling her pains. Dear husband, are you dealing gracefully?
Dear wife, do you speak kindly to your husband? Are your words graceful? Do you remember Abigail whose words turned the heart of David? David was on a murderous journey driven by anger but met Abigail on the way. Everything turned.
These are the words of the Lord to you, dear woman:
“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness.”
Proverbs 31:26 NKJV
When you open your mouth, does wisdom flow? What is on your tongue? Is it the law of kindness? Where did your kind heart go to? Where are the kind words? When did you become this toxic? What happened to you? It has become so hard to say kind words or even to receive kind words.
Go back to that junction where you picked this version that is ungraceful. There is a version you missed there- it is the graceful “you”.
Listen, the situation can either make you bitter or better. Choose wisely.
temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa