But speaking the truth in love, (we) may grow up into Him (Christ) in all things. (Ephesians 4:15)

Additional Reading: 1 Peter 3:7, Ecclesiastes 9:9, 1 Corinthians 7:3 and Colossians 3:19

It is amazing that two married people can live together and not really know each other!

Ignorance is dangerous in any area of life, but it is especially dangerous in marriage. A Christian husband or wife need to know their spouse’s moods, feelings, needs, fears, and hopes. They need to listen with the heart to know each other and share meaningful communication with each other. There must be in the home such a protective atmosphere of love and submission that the husband and wife can disagree and still be happy together.

It has been said that love without truth is hypocrisy, and truth without love is brutality. We need both truth and love if we are to grow in our understanding of one another.

How can we show consideration to one another if we do not understand each other’s needs or problems? To say “I never knew you felt that way” is to confess that, at some point, one mate excommunicated the other. When either mate is afraid to be open and honest about a matter, then we are building walls and not bridges.

ACTION ASSIGNMENT
List in order of importance, as we see it, ten things we can do to show our spouse we love them.

Let us ask God to help us show more love to our spouse. Let us also as a couple pray for a married couple who needs to show more love to each other.

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, help us to live with understanding and not in ignorance in our marriage. In Jesus’ name, amen.