Joy In Marriage

29 Jul Joy In Marriage

The Color of Marriage Devotional

Today’s Devotion – JOY IN MARRIAGE

Joy, what is this elusive and hard-to-describe word that you and I need in our marriage? 

Joy in marriage is needed to maintain the right perspective in marriage. Joy in marriage is needed to feel like there’s hope in marriage. So, since we need this joy in many ways in our marriage let’s open our hearts and minds to determine what joy, specifically what joy in marriage really is.

When I hear the word joy, I think of excitement, big fun, and a whole list of words that resemble the same. However, is this the joy that God talks about in the bible where He tells us in James 1:2 (ESV) to “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,”. Does this sound like the joy that I just described? Should I have excitement and think of big fun while going through various trials? I don’t believe that this is what God is talking about at all. 

How about the passage of scripture in the Old Testament in the book of Proverbs 17:22 (ESV) that says, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones”. Does this properly describe the joy that God is talking about better than the James 1:2 passage of scripture on Joy? To me, it sure sounds closer to what I described joy as earlier. But again, is big fun and excitement the Joy that God is talking about. Well, let’s take a deeper look at what both of these passages of scripture are actually saying about what joy really is.

In James 1:2 (NASB) we again are told to “Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials,”. What is this all about? Is God telling us to pretend or make-believe that the difficult moments of our marriages are not as bad as they seem?  I think not.

When we look at the next two verses that follow, which of course is James 1:3-4, we can see why God is directing us to consider it all joy in moments of difficulty in our marriages. Here’s what verses 3 & 4 have to say, “^3. knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ^4. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 

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As we read all 3 verses together in context, we can see that God is saying, though you are going through these difficult moments, understand what they are producing in you and be joyful because of that. This plays right into our other scripture which again is Proverbs 17:22 (NASB) which says, “A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones”. Which one do you want to choose? 

You can choose to grumble and complain about the difficulties of your marriage and suffer the adverse consequences that come along with doing so, or you can choose to consider it all joy and reap the benefits of doing so, knowing that the difficulties of your marriage are bringing about growth and necessary change.

Joy in marriage is a choice, it’s a state of mind that you must adapt if you are to have joy in your marriage. Joy in marriage is choosing to think differently than you usually would during the difficult moments of your marriage. Joy in marriage is recognition of God’s ability to not only bring you through the difficult moments of your marriage but His ability as well to steady your mind with peace as you go through the difficult moments of your marriage. Joy in marriage takes courage to be able to see the difficult moments of your marriage as opportunities for growth instead of times of sorrow and grief. 

Joy in marriage is a choice, it’s a state of mind that you must adapt if you are to have joy in your marriage. Joy in marriage is choosing to think differently than you usually would during the difficult moments of your marriage. 

Joy in marriage is recognition of God’s ability to not only bring you through the difficult moments of your marriage but His ability as well to steady your mind with peace as you go through the difficult moments of your marriage. Joy in marriage takes courage to be able to see the difficult moments of your marriage as opportunities for growth instead of times of sorrow and grief. 

You may ask yourself how I can do what’s required to have Joy in marriage. The answer lies in what has already been written in today’s devotion. Here’s a short repeat with additional understanding. Joy is a choice, it’s all about how you look at what you are going through in your marriage. You can see it as gloom and doom, or you can choose Joy. Joy is a state of mind that one chooses to have despite their circumstances. That state of mind does not negate the circumstances, instead, it chooses to understand them in a way that says, I’m going to be all right because God’s got me.

Key Marriage Scriptures for today’s devotion:

James 1:2 (NASB) – Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials,

Galatians 5:22 (ESV) – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Other key marriage scriptures to read – 

Job 2:10, Matthew 5:10-12,  Romans 5:3, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:31-32, Colossians 3:13, & Hebrews 12:1-2

Next steps to take:

Read all of the key marriage scriptures for today’s devotion. Don’t let the difficult moments of your marriage take you to dark places. Dark places where you are thinking negative thoughts about your spouse and your marriage. Dark places where you imagine the worst scenarios and outcomes related to the difficulty that you are going through. Instead let Joy, the peace that says God will take care of the difficult moments, settle in your heart and mind.

 

We are here to help. We offer online Christian Marriage Counseling to help you and your spouse overcome pride in marriage. We also would like to help you understand and live out God’s plan for marriage so that you can build a Christ-centered marriage that you can enjoy.

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