Weekend Kindness
Reaching Others Through Kindness

The hardest thing for a human to do is to face a problem alone.  The fact is, we’re social beings—we thrive on interpersonal contact.  We need one another in order to survive, especially when difficulties arrive.

That is one of the reasons that God gave Eve to Adam, and that children are born to a set of parents that love them unconditionally.

If we are to build long lasting relationships, we cannot simply be around when times are good—we also have to be there when times get difficult.  We need to support one another when others seem to think that there’s no chance.

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We live in an interesting age.  I don’t know how many times friends from my high school want to e-mail or contact me—if only I’ll pay cash to talk to them, or at least that’s what Classmates.com wants me to believe.

We used to be able to move on from place to place, keeping in contact with the people in our lives that really mattered, and letting the acquaintances and others move on with their lives and grow into fond memories.

Not today.  In the rush for the latest status symbol, if someone finds your name on a list of available people they’ll rush to add you to it.  They wear the number of “friends” or “followers” that they have like previous generations would collect beanie babies.

For me, the amusing part is that they let all these people in to look at their lives, and those insights usually provide quite the amusement in themselves.  Once added, twice forgotten, I believe.

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STRENGTHEN YOUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR MARRIAGE.

Marriage is not a contract. It is a covenant, made before God and witnesses. Marriage is not a fuzzy feeling of love. It is a commitment. It is a commitment to build a godly marriage that is a picture to the world of Christ and His bride. It is a commitment to build a family and raise a godly seed. It won’t always be easy. It’s hard work. But we are committed to the task. We take no notice of difficulties. We are not daunted by problems. We keep on with the task, because we are committed to a vision of building a godly generation. We are not concerned only with the present, but with the future, and the generations to come. We have no thought of quitting because we know that it would affect not only our children now, but also the generations to follow. We keep pressing on toward the goal, pushing through the mountains of difficulties, as we trust in our God.

Got any rivers you think are uncrossible?
Got any mountains you can’t tunnel through?
God specializes in things thought impossible!
He can do what no other can do!

God is for your marriage. He will be with you to make it strong and precious. There may be times when the tide goes out on your marriage. When the tide goes out, you see all the ugly things on the beach. When the tide goes out on your marriage, the ugly things loom large. But don’t despair. Don’t look at the rubbish. Look to the Lord. There is a divine law I want to remind you about. The tide ALWAYS COMES IN AGAIN! If you are going through a tough time, hang on to God. The tide will come in again with love and blessing and reconciliation.

~Nancy Campbell~

SEPARATE EVIL FROM YOUR MARRIAGE.

Keep your marriage and your home a pure place for the habitation of the Lord. Don’t allow the filth of the world to creep in. It can happen so easily. Don’t watch immoral movies together. You’ll have a limited selection, but be strong about this. When you sit and watch immorality and filth, you condone it, you deaden your conscience, you negatively affect your marriage and you defile your home. Oh, one of the saddest things I hear from wives as I speak to them all over the country is the grief and lament that their husbands are glued to the TV and many of them are involved in pornography. Oh how I grieve. Pornography is destroying thousands of marriages.

Keep your marriage bed holy. Just because you are married does not give you license to do kinky things. True intimacy in the sexual act can be gloriously satisfying without trying other things. I like this statement from Matthew Henry. “Those who keep themselves pure in times of common impurity, God will keep safe in times of common calamity.”

Don’t bring death to your bed. Most contraceptives either kill newly formed life, or kill the sperm that holds the potential of future life. The Pill, IUD, Depo-Provera, and Norplant are all abortifacients. They cause the death of a newly formed human being. Keep your bed holy.

Ezekiel 44:23 says, “And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.”

~Nancy Campbell~

SANCTIFY YOUR MARRIAGE WITH PRAYER AND THANKSGIVING.

None of us are exempt from trials. We all face hard times in our marriages. What do you do? Grumble and groan? Complain and criticize? Talk negatively and nastily. Oh it is so easy to do this, because this is how we feel. But here’s the secret. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Thank Him. Trust Him. All your groaning and blaming one another will not solve the problem. God is your Deliverer! You can trust Him. Learn to hang on to God and look to Him as your source. Don’t trust in your husband’s ability alone, but in the Lord.

Make it your habit to pray and praise the Lord together daily. If you pray daily together, you’ll keep free from “the little foxes that spoil the vines” that eat away at your marriage. Make your home a house of prayer and thanksgiving. Matthew 18:19 is a wonderful promise for married couples. “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” Notice these words – “If two of you…” The two of you together can claim great power and miracles in your relationship and in your home as you faithfully pray together.

And never forget the exhortation in Ephesians 4:26, “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” If you have an argument or get upset with one another, don’t act like a baby and put on the silent treatment. Sort it out. Say “I’m sorry.” Forgive one another. Never go to sleep until you have restored the relationship. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

~Nancy Campbell~

SWEETEN YOUR MARRIAGE.

Ouch! This is a challenge to me. If I start to get a little harsh, Colin will say, “Come on, Darling, be sweet to me.” And I do have to be reminded! But he never lets me get away with sharp words. He always pulls me up to be gentle and sweet.

How do you sweeten your marriage? With words – sweet words, soft words, encouraging words, cheerful words, positive words, helpful words, supportive words, kind words, wise words, forgiving words, loving words, pleasant words and life-giving words. You can’t miss having a successful marriage if you put this secret into practice!

I am always challenged by Song of Solomon 4:11 where the Bridegroom speaks to the bride and says, “Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue.” What drips from the honeycomb? Sweetness! What kind of words drip from your tongue?

A dear friend called in this morning and shared this quote with me: “People turn their best side out: they are delightful in company, but snarly at home. There they give vent to their dissatisfaction, their temper, their grouch. They are scent-bottles abroad, vinegar-bottles at home… To be a Christian at home one must learn to ‘keep sweet’.”

Your words will gradually kill your marriage or they can keep it alive with love. It’s your choice. Proverbs 18:21.

~Nancy Campbell~

SERVE YOUR HUSBAND.

This is meant to be a time of sharing my secrets. Can I share with you what I believe is one of the most destructive forces in a marriage? It is the sin of selfishness! The secret of a successful marriage is selflessness and serving. If you are trying to get something out of your marriage for yourself, you will never be satisfied. It doesn’t work that way. Forget about yourself and think of all the ways you can serve and satisfy your husband. This will bring you joy and freedom. This will release your husband to love you. Even Jesus, the Son of God, did not come to be served but to serve. He was our example. Read Philippians 2:6-8.

Stamp on all the works of the flesh that poke their way up in your life – your self-pitying, self-centered, self-gratifying, self-serving, self-pleasing, self-opinionated self! They destroy the marriage.

Marriage seminars are good. Marriage counseling is good. But they are not the total answer. I know couples that have been to loads of marriage seminars and still have problems in their marriage. All you need to do is forget about self, start serving and your problems will disappear!

Make your home a refuge where your husband can find peace and harmony from the strife of the workplace. Daily prepare a nutritious and appetizing meal for him. There is nothing more soothing than coming home to find the table set nicely, the meal ready with delicious smells floating from the kitchen, a peaceful atmosphere, and everyone ready to sit down to the evening meal.

~Nancy Campbell~