Gospel Prism

If you’re married, you must read Marriedlife, Covenant Life Church’s blog on marriage. It is excellent and is worth looking at frequently as a reminder of how to live the Gospel life in our marriages. Here’s a sample post from one of the articles called , “JudgeNot: Your Spouse (Bad Moves and Backpeddaling):

Men, have you ever walked in the door from a long day at work to find your home a wreck, your wife crashed on the couch, and the kids hypnotized by the television? If you are like me you might think to yourself (first bad move), “What on earth is going on here?� Then you decide to say, “Love, what have you done all day?� (Second bad move) Back peddle quickly if you can. Most likely it is too late. You have judged your wife.

Sinful judging never bears good fruit, does it? All the ways God has been at work are overlooked. Grace isn’t celebrated. She, as Jerusha has been many times, is tempted to be more discouraged. Now what?

Praise God he has an answer for all judging-and all sin for that matter-seek forgiveness through the blood of Christ. Seek God’s forgiveness & seek your wife’s forgiveness. Then walk out repentance by extending mercy. Start by highlighting how God has been at work.

Two other things help me not judge my wife as I walk threw the door:

1. Scripture Memory-One passage that has helped me avoid judging is the sober warning found in Romans 2:1 “Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.�

2. Seize the Commute-whether it is 15 minutes or an hour, ample time awaits us to pray against judging and posture our hearts to serve and love our wife as we walk through that door.

Let’s pray that God make us humble—and much slower to judge. Let’s bring “the atmosphere of mercy� into our marriages.