Jentezen Franklin (February-05-2024) Daily Devotional: You need each other (2).
“This explains why a man…is joined to his wife.” Gen 2:24 NLT
These days many divorces are based on grounds of incompatibility. For example, the husband says, “We have nothing in common.” Or the wife says, “We’re as different as chalk and cheese.” Of course you are! If you were exactly the same, one of you would be unnecessary! The very reason you need each other is because you’re different! One likes coffee; the other, tea. One goes to bed early; the other is a night owl. One is quiet; the other is an extrovert. Can this cause friction? Absolutely! That’s where love, kindness, and patience come into the picture. The real issue isn’t your differences—it’s making those God-given differences work for you instead of against you. The sad fact is that we have lost our understanding of how to make our differences dovetail and complement one another. The day you start looking for what God is trying to teach you through your mate, you stop griping and start growing. Maybe in your heart of hearts you’re thinking, “But I don’t believe God gave me my mate.” Maybe not, but if you let Him, He will teach you how to love and learn from him or her anyway. As a couple, there are no problems stemming from your differences that can’t be solved by applying a healthy dose of God’s grace and following the guidelines He established for building a happy relationship. But you have to build it. And it takes work. Two imperfect people don’t make one perfect marriage. But two imperfect people committed to loving one another and following God’s guidelines can come as close to Eden’s bliss as it gets this side of heaven.
