Exhortation to Young Married Couples

My week thus far burdens my heart to give an exhortation, to give  a word of caution to everyone and especially to young married couples. Counseling couples has been a part of my ministry since the beginning and I continue to see the same patterns, the same mistakes mad over and again by different people.

The difference in my counseling now compared to when I first began is simply my own spiritual growth and God given wisdom from 26 years of marriage. Let me pause right here and express that God gave me an extraordinary woman who is the perfect fit for me. Now let me be honest, there are times when we both doubted that we were the perfect fit for each other. 

If it were not for the grace of God and the power of God in His mercy and forgiveness we would not have made it this far. I would not trade anything, not anything, for what God allowed me to experience these last 26 years. I want to enumerate some thoughts maybe you use, maybe you share, maybe you just pray for others as you read where my heart is today as I am working with several young married couples who have bought into lies and deception from the enemy.

To Christian Couples:
1. God's word is TRUTH!
2. I don't really care how you feel when you don't first care about the feelings of your spouse and your children.
3. There is never a justification for adultery...never. Wrong is always wrong even when it "feels right".
4. Emotional affairs, cyber sex, phone sex all falls under item item #3 above.
5. Men: your wife does not reach the full prime of her physical beauty until around age 35. ( stick around)
6. Men: if she is not more beautiful to you today, than ever, you have a spiritual problem and a marriage problem.
7. Ladies: Men do not KNOW how to be a husband. Not an excuse for men, but helping you understand why he frustrates you.
8. If you find yourself mumbling about not being sure how and why y'all got together, you are on the verge of entering into a dark place where your marriage will soon die.
9. Stop being selfish!
10. I don't care how passionate you are about your hobbies. Your first passion should be Christ, your second passion is your spouse and you really should be last. God exalts the humble, even in marriage.
11. Your marriage is not about your spouse, or you, it's about GOD.
12. This is a bigger deal than just getting a divorce because you want to "cut your losses."
13. PARENTS of young married couples: "Land the helicopter"; stop hovering over them, give them some space, let them work through their problems. STAY OUT of it unless there is violence or some type of real abuse. (Even then be very wise.)
14. Brats and whinny babies sleep on the couch, you learned that from television not from the Bible. STOP IT!
15. God can and will save your marriage, fix both of you, if by faith you will seek biblical direction for your lives and marriage.
16. Two ways not to deceive yourself: (a) don't think you can attend church every week and everything will be ok. (b) Don't think you can skip church every week and your life will somehow continue to function normally. (See item #1)
17. You must learn how to apply the word of God to the way you live and see change in your life because your default setting is not sufficient to be the man or woman God called you to be.
18. This life matters, its the only one you get and you are are steward of this life to the glory of God. Stop wasting your life.
19. Seeking Christ first and putting yourself last to be the best spouse you can be is SOOOO worth it, I PROMISE!
20. Don't do this to your children. Despite what you have heard, THEY WILL BE AFFECTED!

I have much more but it is best I go for now. Questions...? let me know. andyg@crosschurch.com

One more thing...

Be Biblical,
​ATG