I have been following Amy Hale for some time now on Instagram and I appreciate her authenticity and transparency. She is a great encourager of faith! She is sharing with us today about the power of a strong Christian marriage.
Amy writes:
We have an enemy that is very real. He DELIGHTS in creating division in relationships. Especially marriages. I am seeing that so clearly right now.
Honestly, I’ve been the biggest hypocrite of a wife. I have judged my husband and criticized him. I have been prideful, thinking “my way” of doing things was better than his way. I have missed opportunities to build him up by withholding love and encouragement when I had the power to give it. I have given my attention to things that were far less important than my husband. I have done all these things-mostly behind closed doors–while encouraging women to be godly wives.
So recently, after experiencing a hard season of discouragement and hopelessness, feeling very isolated from God, I felt God’s conviction. He conveyed to me that it was going to be very difficult for me to move forward in my walk with Him until I made some serious changes in my role as a wife. He revealed some ugliness in my heart and I acknowledged it and confessed it to Him as sin.
I basically recommitted my marriage to Him.
Ever since THAT moment-only a week or so ago-when I told God I needed forgiveness and wanted to honor Him in my marriage, I have felt majorly attacked. After a heated discussion with Stephen just this morning, I admit that I felt myself slipping back into hopelessness. I quickly asked God to encourage me, then came across a quote from today’s She Reads Truth devotion:
The Bible does not need us to defend it. We need the Bible to help us stand firm in Christ.”
This really jumped off the screen at me since the heated discussion we had just had was about the Bible! A light bulb came on and I realized that if God’s design for marriage is for it to be a reflection to the world of Christ’s relationship to the Church, it’s no wonder I’m feeling so attacked.
And then I realized…for the enemy to be going after me so hard, he must really feel threatened by my renewed commitment to my marriage. The idea of Stephen and I having a strong, healthy marriage that points to Christ actually scares him, I believe. This just makes me more determined. Satan obviously knows the power of a Christian marriage, the impact it can have on the world, so I will not stop pursuing it.
I will not give up.
The enemy’s more aggressive attacks on me only serve to prove that I am indeed on the right path and much is at stake here.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” – Ephesians 6:11
By Amy Hale
