Will You Be the One?

Looking out the window from our kitchen table, I can see the snow melting on the ground and dripping off our roof.  As the snow melts, slowly the landscape is being revealed again.  While the snow remained on the ground and kept everything covered in a blanket of white, the imperfections of the world around were masked.  But, as the snow melts the imperfections of our yard and the lots surrounding our house are easily seen.  And this thought begs the question....have we allowed a false sense of peace and tranquility to be present in our marriage?  Have we done anything to allow for real and lasting change or have we been satisfied with a covering over of the issues because the work needed to make it right is too difficult?

This is the difference between whitewashed and being washed white.  While being whitewashed may make it look better, the underlying stains and issues are still there and will come to the surface again in the process of time.  But, being washed white means that we have been continually put under the power and purifying effects of water until all the impurities are removed.

Where do we stand?  Where do you stand?  Are we just painting over the real issues hoping that we can keep them covered up and that no one will notice?  Or are we willing to allow ourselves, our spouses, and our marriage to be put under the power and purification of the Word of God until the impurities are removed?

Sometimes when this is type of personal introspection questions are put to us we would rather deflect them towards what our spouses or others are doing wrong.  We would prefer to turn the microscope onto them than have our own frailties and shortcomings be seen.  But, true marital restoration does not begin with your spouse; it begins with you.  We're not saying that you have done anything overtly wrong.  But, we must look within our own hearts first and root out what does not belong there before we can ever look into our spouse's hearts and help them.

The Bible tells us that we must dig out the giant piece of wood in our own eye before we should ever begin to assist someone else with removing the splinter from their eye.  David writes in the Psalms and asks God to search him and his heart and find any wicked way in him.

You have heard us say it before and it bears repeating...marital restoration does not take the both of you.  It only takes one.  Will you be the one to begin the road to complete restoration by looking into your own heart and life and allowing the Holy Spirit to illuminate what is there that could in some way inhibit His complete work to be accomplished in you?  Will you be the one?

Josh and Serena