On Marriage...

How is your marriage? Would you say you have a great one? Most people do not. We are in a time where busyness, among other things, is pulling couples apart. Many couples both work and are living independent of each other. They have areas of their lives that the other person is not involved in, does not know about, or does not even care about. We should not have secret lives that are hidden from our mates.


More than half of all marriages in America end in divorce. The truth of the matter is that we all benefit by being submissive to one another and we women are protected by our husbands by doing this. Honest!


Just because a person is married does not mean they are not tempted. Being tempted is not a sin, but giving in to it is a sin. Thus, there is a need for accountability between spouses. I Corinthians 7:5 tells that couples help protect one another from sexual temptation. Ephesians 5 tells of the love and order of a marriage.

When a husband and wife grow apart they become indifferent to one another, then the door is open for one of them to fall into temptation. I want to encourage couples to be accountable to one another and be transparent in sharing your lives with one another. Be visible about what you do. For example, if you have a blog, an email account, or anything like that, make it known to your spouse. Even offer your passwords so your mate is free to check it any time. If you are close to a member of the opposite sex, refrain from sharing details of your life that should be shared with your mate. Don’t allow or encourage another person to flirt with you, or share how their mate does not understand them. Run to your mate when you feel vulnerable to temptation. Be accountable to one another in love and see how your trust can grow. God wants you to be blessed with the one you are with. Having a marriage that has both hearts open to each other and God can give you a marriage that is abundantly blessed.

-Pastor Connie Shinn
Living Free Christian Counseling