Trading Places with Your Spouse
A Mature Spouse

Scripture Reading:  2 Peter 1:3-9

Key Verse:  2 Peter 1:10-11

    Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, [11] and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Immature people will probably not choose to go down the path of empathy.  They don’t have any desire to trade places with another person, they are too happy with themselves.  Immaturity is a self-centeredness that makes us ineffective in all areas of our lives, but especially in our marriage; being willing to take an honest look at a situation from our spouse’s perspective takes a strong, mature person.

            In today’s scripture reading, the Apostle Peter gives us the tools for growing into a fully mature person.  The tools include: knowledge, self-control, kindness, and love, to mention just a few.  I hope you will take time to read this passage.  Empathy, if practiced sincerely, requires these qualities.  For example, we must add knowledge to our lives.  It is knowledge of God that will lead me to gain knowledge of my spouse.  Empathy takes self-control as well.  I must control my “flesh” and deny ungodly selfishness in order to trade places with my partner.  Finally, it certainly will take kindness and love even to try to look at issues from my spouse’s perspective.

            Are you willing to grow in this area?  Next time you have a disagreement, are you willing to control your emotions, slow your response and try to understand where you wife or husband is coming from?  It is never an easy thing to do, but most good things in life aren’t easy to come by!  Let’s determine to be a mature spouse.

Father, I don’t want to be ineffective and unproductive in my daily life.  Help me to add to my life these Christ like qualities.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.