"A Godly Spouse" - it may sound too perfect... but every woman can really find a Godly Spouse. In today's times, we may think that it is too far possible to find a man who possesses Godly virtues, but he may be just around the corner.
A Godly Spouse may not be too religious or too tight with spiritual beliefs. A Godly Spouse is merely a spouse who believes in God and who put his faith into practice. Our God is a loving God and that should be above all the characteristic of a Spouse.
My husband is not as religious as I am but I can say that I find in him the characteristics of a "Godly" spouse.
1. Kindness - I am kind but I think my husband is kinder than I am. He shows great kindness not only to me but the people around him. He is soft spoken and slow to anger. I never heard him judge other people and that makes me real sure that he is a just and kind person.
2. Humility - despite achievements and status in life, he never consider himself higher than anyone else. He always keep his feet on the ground. He is willing to keep his pride and ego aside especially when dealing with arguments.
3. Gentleness and Sensitivity - my husband shows sensitivity especially when I am in trouble. He gives gentle advises and never adds up to any of my worries. He knows when I am troubled even if I don't say it. He eases up pains and encourages me to be at my best all the time. He is sensitive to my needs and feelings.
4. A man of Few Words but Great Actions - let me just say that he does not talk that much. I learned to accept him as like that even at first I thought he does not enjoy talking to me. Just like our loving God, he is more of a listener and he never gets tired of doing so. His silence is however coupled with actions and is always ready to help me in whatever circumstances. He shows his love in a more concrete manner.
5. My No.1 Fan - he exhibits love for all -family, friends...but most of all, to me. I am confident enough that I will have no reasons to be insecure or jealous. He makes me feel that I am the most beautiful woman in his life. He is faithful and is committed to love only one woman and that is me :) . He is generous with praises when I did something good or when I look great and likewise, he knows how to point out my flaws without letting me feel so bad about them. His honest compliments and comments makes me respect his words.
6. Loving and Generous Heart - to sum up everything, he is indeed a loving and generous man; Loving both in words and deeds;and Generous not only in his thoughts and words of wisdom but also in helping me when I need it most. He demonstrates selflessness by doing his work and is focused on helping others before he thinks of his own needs and wants. I really appreciate his sense of "responsibility".
I can go on describing how I find my spouse as "Godly"... But the thought here is how we really see our partner as a blessing from above. If we only know how to appreciate and value our spouse's strengths and accept his weaknesses, we will be able to find in them the characters that make them stand above the rest.
Above all, having one, common belief of a true God is the most important aspect in every relationship. When partners pray together, attend the Eucharistic Mass together, share daily devotionals together, they will most likely find and experience God in each other- through each other.
As I said, one must not be too religious in order to have "Godly" attributes, it only takes unwavering belief and interminable amount of actions. Marriage is a lifelong commitment to give oneself physically, emotionally, and spiritually to his/her partner alone. It is never too tough if God is the center of every marriage.
REFLECTIONS:
Are you one of those who are called "blessed" to have a "Godly" spouse? How can you exemplify "Godly" attributes not only in your married life but also in your everyday living?
Acceptance is another key to a happy marriage.
It may sound easy especially in the courtship stage, where every discovery is considered exciting and easy to accept. But realities set in during the married life. It is where true acceptance is tested.
There are so many things that couples should consider and that include accepting each other's strengths and weaknesses. Every individual is unique in its own ways, and couples should respect that individualities. The truth is, couples only learn and know their partners well and deeply as they live together under one roof.
Sharing the common things is as important as accepting the differences. If these differences are discovered earlier in the courtship stage, the better, because you have time to adjust with each other. Still, some areas are yet to unfold as the years go by.
Honesty is very important and do not be afraid to share everything to your spouse. It is one big leap in achieving acceptance and gaining trust.
May every couples find the joy of discovering each other and find excitement along the way. And may they be of good support as much as possible to strengthen partnership or more so friendship. Besides, our better half is our best friend more than anybody else.
REFLECTION
If today you find out something you haven't known about your spouse before marriage, are you open to discuss it with her/him and willing to accept it in order to achieve a life long partnership?
Love can be tiring at times when we view it on human standards. But if we see and practice Love according to Jesus' teachings, Love can never be a source of boredom, or cause us to drain our energy.
Love itself is a form of prayer. In a married life, love should be the very air that surrounds the home. Although daily chores and routine can make our bodies exhausted but not our hearts- if they are all done in the name of LOVE.
How many times does a wife has to cook the meals, prepare her husband's clothes and stuff, clean the house, scrub and dry the toilet bowl, etc.? And how many times does a husband has to wake up more than early in the morning to catch up the bus for work, fix the broken cabinets, lock the door before going to bed, etc.? The answer is never ending and they don't even cause us to complain because we love to serve our partner and these acts have become our way of life.
Trials in relationships can also make us vulnerable; susceptible to giving up, turning away and even to infedility. Our response to trials depend on our personal relationship with God. A relationship grounded in LOVE, faith and action lead us to a positive response to trials. I once read that we should meet trial as a friend. By doing so, we create a room for adjustment, acceptance and solutions just like what we do with our friends, families and loved ones.
There is nothing wrong to be vulnerable to trials nor get tired and exhausted in loving sometimes, for we are merely being true to our nature as humans. What is wrong is when we lose the hope and the zest of getting back into our feet. Rest assured that in everything, God is always with us; that comforting thought should not leave our hearts especially when we are faced with so much difficulties.
Reflect:
How do we really love and what do we expect in return from loving someone? These are the questions that we need to reflect and see for ourselves if our answers correspond to how LOVE should really be.
"When getting together opens up whole new possibilities and opportunities, when tolerating differences becomes the norm rather than the exception, and when the same face looks better and better as the years pass, you can be sure you havea special kind of love."
And a special kind of marriage.
If Love is known to have never failed then who can be against two people in love? The odds may come in along the way and they are all but inevitable.
A strong foundation is required to survive trials without letting go of each other. A certain space may be required to allow the heat to subside; that goes with it the respect for each other's feelings.
Winning an argument is not really the main and end goal in fixing the problem but more of listening to each one's opinions and compromising.
Communication is a very important aspect and practice to achieve a harmonious relationship.
Who can be against two people in love? Could be one of them or other external factors; but true love is when forgiveness prevails and having a heart that listens and understands. Love is realizing the importance of the other person and that one can never be without the other.
Love will always be a plural and action word. Love practiced alone is not love at all. It is shared. It is expressed and shown.
Above all, love anchored in Faith and placed in God's hands is the strongest foundation every couple could have. With it, we can truly say that no one is against two people in love and love indeed never fails!
REFLECTION:
In what ways do we feel that LOVE fails us? How do we deal with such situations?
