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Recap of the sermon from January 2nd, 2011: (Ephesians 5:33)
1. In Colossians 3:19 (the parallel passage to Ephesians 5:25-33) Paul instructs Christian husbands to love their wives and not be harsh with them. The word “harsh” means a surly, irritable attitude or to be harsh and unfeeling. It is a constant criticalness, a person who is never satisfied. It can be prompted by a perfectionistic bent, bringing tension home from the job, or unresolved or unrealistic expectations, etc.
2. In the book “How to Live With Them Since You Can’t Live Without Them,” Roger and Becky Tirabassi write that the key to successful relationships is understanding three truths about relationships:
-Every couple is bound to struggle (a struggle sparked by “…differing personalities and needs, our unique idiosyncrasies, not to mention our personal pasts…”) These struggles are also sparked by the fact that we all have a sin nature which tends toward selfishness, a desire to have our own way.
-Every relationship goes through phases (Infatuation, Reality, Adjustment): too many relationships fail at the reality level without making the commitment to make the adjustments necessary to build a strong relationship. At the reality phrase singles are free to seek another relationship, those who are married have a responsibility to get through this phase.
-Current relationship are affected by our past (past issues such as: feeling rejected, being critical, not feeling valued, difficulty in trusting, need to please, fearful, perfectionism, not feeling accepted, feelings of insecurity, poor self-image, excessive spending, among others.
