Don’t Get in God’s Way

It is very hard to be a spouse that follows Christ and be married to someone who does not.  In some cases, that other spouse may even be hostile toward Jesus.  It then becomes a daily struggle for the Christian spouse.  

Remember when you came to believe in Jesus as your Savior?  For most of us there was all this excitement.  Some people celebrated with you and others looked at you wondering what was going on.  When God called me into ministry and I finally took that step forward, I had an inner excitement that my body could not contain.  Some people got it and others thought I had gone over the edge.  They couldn’t understand why I would give up a somewhat prestigious, good paying job to enter ministry with almost no pay!  I guess looking back it did seem a little crazy to many, but I did not care.  In my excitement, I ran some people off.  Some of them had been friends for a long time.  

At first I thought running them off was okay and then I realized that God loved them too!  Was I getting in God’s way?  Were the things I was saying and the things I was doing building a wall that pushed them away from God?  Was I judging them because they did not “get it?” The answer to all of those questions was most likely “yes.”  So take it back to your marriage and your unbelieving spouse.  

Are you getting in God’s way?  Are you doing and saying things that are pushing your spouse farther away from Jesus?  Remember, even though your intentions are good, you can still get in His way.  I did.  Let me share with you what helped me more than anything as I was getting in God’s way.  Through God’s grace, I realized I was not the Holy Spirit for any of those people!  Guess what?  You are not the Holy Spirit of your spouse.  That job was taken a long time ago.  Your job is to love them and pray for them. Then follow the Holy Spirit’s lead, but don’t get in His way!