Thursday 2-14-08 "Strength"

Greetings Internet Campus,

Mark 12:30-31 (NLT2) 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

Today we're looking at becoming one in strength. The physical way of becoming one...and you might be surprised where it starts!

Most couples focus all of their attention on physical intimacy. While that is an important part of a healthy marriage....real physical oneness starts in the brain. We talked a lot yesterday about having one mind...how did that go? Did you talk about spender/saver? It is crucial that your first physical connection comes in the form of a unified thought life.

But what else? If it isn't sex...what else can make us physically one? Let's think of other external/physical parts of marriage. How about your bank accounts? Do you have a separate bank account that your spouse knows nothing about? Close it. Secretive money means that your trust level has taken a dip. Oneness in finances is crucial for successful relationships. In fact, in all of my years as a pastor talking with married couples, money is the single most fought about topic. Hands down... You've got to have financial/physical oneness.

How about friends? What do you think of who your spouse hangs out with? Do you know who your spouse is hanging out with? Do you care? Are they positive or negative influences on them? Do you realize that your spouse's friends directly affect their behavior and their opinion of your marriage? Does your spouse have any friends other than you? Do you let him/her? Insecurity, control issues, fear, and loneliness have a direct affect on physical oneness.

There are so many other external factors that can change the physical climate of your home. Make a commitment to having one heart, one soul, and one mind...and the physical side of your relationship (both sexual and external) will thrive.

Write it Down: Today, pray for those physical issues where you feel that your marriage could use some work. Give it to God and ask Him to reveal in your heart what you can do to fix it. Stay in prayer until the Holy Spirit reveals an answer

See you tomorrow for the wrap up!

Pastor Brian