
Tuesday, MAY10, 2022
DAY 9
THE FIXER UPPER
by Yolanda Darville
“But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.” —2 Chronicles 15:7
Don’t you love DIY home shows? You know – the ones where a couple loves their house but realizes that it needs some upgrades. With our eyes glued to the screen we watch the crafty couple pull out a sledgehammer, grab some paint and transform their homes with their own hands by the end of the 30-minute show.
Shows like that inspire us all to go looking for our toolbox. We all want to create something beautiful and have the satisfaction of knowing “I did it myself!”
Marriage is the perfect DIY project. But there are tricks to this fixer upper: it will DEFINITELY take more than half an hour with commercial breaks; it will take God’s help and (this is the most important part!) you can only fix YOURSELF.
The book of 2 Chronicles shows us a time when Israel’s culture had deteriorated, and society was falling apart at every turn. And yet, amid this distress, God gives words of encouragement and a promise. “But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.”
This encouragement applies to marriage. When we are strong and courageous in our marriages and commit to putting in the work, over time our work is rewarded. Did you notice that the scripture says “your work” and does not mention anyone else’s work?
We are called to focus on our own improvement while we are in the partnership of marriage. Try as we might, we can not change our spouses. We can only change ourselves by committing to put in the work and by strengthening our own walk with Christ.
There will be joyful times when you and your spouse are both putting in 100% effort. But there may be times when you give your all only to be met with 0% effort from your spouse. These are the times when it is easy to lose hope, throw up our hands and give up. But the Word tells us to do the opposite. We are to be strong and courageous and give it our all knowing that we will receive a heavenly reward.
There is no need to fixate on our spouses behavior. The word tells us in 1 Peter 3:1 that our spouses can be won to Christ without a word simply by OUR behavior. God will always fulfill His promise – we just need to focus on doing our part!
Today, we challenge YOU to be strong and courageous and commit to being the best Danville or wife that you can be. Trust God’s promise that your work will be rewarded.
Prayer
Lord, show me the areas where I need to grow and change in this marriage. Help me to be courageous enough to only focus on myself and not on my spouse’s flaws. Inspire me to give my best every day knowing that my work will be rewarded as you promised. I trust you to “fix”
me Lord, and to build my marriage into something beautiful. In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Reflection:
- Think about the areas of your life that need to be “fixed” by Jesus, the master builder. In your journal, write down five steps that YOU can take this month to transform your life and your marriage.
- We’ll see you tomorrow for Day 10!