If your spouse was the only soul you were responsible for showing who is Jesus Christ and His love, how would you rate yourself today?

I have been seeking God’s face and asking Him what He would like me to write about to start reaching out to others concerning marriage. At first, I did not get an answer. So I went about doing what needed to be done, taking care of the family and other things that God has me doing at this time. Then at the oddest time I heard… “If your spouse was the only soul that I give you to be responsible for to show them who Jesus Christ is and His love, how would you rate yourself today?”

The Word of God says that we are to love one another, treat others as we would want to be treated, and to be a witness of who He is. A lot of times we are so quick to want to do this for those who are outside the home, and we may forget about those who see us all the time.

We are so quick to want to change our spouse, our children, our surroundings, and complain and belly ache on what we are enduring. However, we may not be focusing on the fact that they are the ones we need to be showing the love of God to.

Now this does not mean to become a door mat. Jesus was not a doormat. He loved and ministered to the needs of the people and put sin in its place. He did not argue who He was, but instead would ask them who they thought that He was – or simply state who He was and left it up to the person to believe or not to believe.

If we would just take the things we do not like to the Father in prayer and ask Him what is our part in the process of your marriage, you would not be focused on changing your spouse, but changing yourself. It may not even change the situation you are in, but it will change the way you view it.

If you do not know how to handle a current situation that you are in, get in the Word and see what it says. Take it one day at a time and do better each day to love as Jesus loved. If you do not do so well the first day, give yourself some grace to keep trying. Learn what you did wrong and do it better next time.

One of the key things I have learned thus far in many studies and seeking God’s face on my own marriage is Jesus did not love the way He thought to love but loved as the Father taught Him to. Jesus also shows that love how the person needs it. We each have different ways we need love. God, being the Creator knows of that need and that is why it is important to be asking Him how to love each individual person in your life.

You can apply this to your husband, your wife, your children, your partner, your parents, or anyone who is involved in your life. If that person was the only soul you were held responsible for to show who Jesus is and His love – how would you rate yourself today?

1 Peter 3:1-7 (ERV)
Wives and Husbands
1 In the same way, you wives should be willing to serve your husbands. Then, even those who have refused to accept God’s teaching will be persuaded to believe because of the way you live. You will not need to say anything.
2 Your husbands will see the pure lives that you live with respect for God.
3 It is not fancy hair, gold jewelry, or fine clothes that should make you beautiful.
4 No, your beauty should come from inside you—the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. That beauty will never disappear. It is worth very much to God.
5 It was the same with the holy women who lived long ago and followed God. They made themselves beautiful in that same way. They were willing to serve their husbands.
6 I am talking about women like Sarah. She obeyed Abraham, her husband, and called him her master. And you women are true children of Sarah if you always do what is right and are not afraid.
7 In the same way, you husbands should live with your wives in an understanding way, since they are weaker than you. You should show them respect, because God gives them the same blessing he gives you—the grace of true life. Do this so that nothing will stop your prayers from being heard.

John 13:34-35 (NKJV)
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 5:19-20 (NKJV)
19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.

Luke 6:31 (NKJV)
31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.