January . 2020

Marriage is one of the best training environments for Christians.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. * (1 Corinthian’s 13) This chapter has helped me through many trials.  Thank God that He requires that of husbands and wives!  In the 80’s, I discovered a monthly pattern of discord in my temperament that affected our marriage.  Things that normally wouldn’t upset me, did upset me.  Along with that would come these ‘absolute’ statements to my brain. I normally try to avoid words like ‘never’ or ‘always’ when considering someone else’s or even my own behavior.  Amazing to me that this particular phrase would come to me often around the same time each month!

*1 Corinthians 13:7 NASB

From the journal. . . December 1990

Lord, I confess I was selfish last night.  I was feeling sorry for myself.  One of the clues of PMS that I have is I start feeling that Mark’s moods are ALWAYS more priority than mine.  That I  ALWAYS have to make sure he is happy before I can tend to my feelings.  Note the dramatic emphasis!  Lord,  I guess if I ask You to forgive that attitude in me then I have to forgive also.  ‘God, forgive him for being unfair.  Forgive me for feeling picked on.’ 

Lord, can our feelings be sin?

And I Believe God said:

If you indulge them.  You get a feeling. Then you think on the feeling.  Then you act on the feeling or thought.  It’s not sin to limp when you have an injured leg or foot.  It’s sin to fake it for the purpose of throwing guilt.* Wanting sympathy isn’t sin.  Manipulating the culprit to feel guilty and bad is. That’s revenge.  It’s natural to respond with that feeling.  Not sin but if you indulge it by thinking more and more about it, you will act on it purposely or unconsciously.  Diane, to want comfort after being hurt is not wrong. Not even selfish. To demand comfort is another matter.

*Ps 5:6 . Ps 15:2 *Phil 2:3-4