I have been seeing too many couples lately, who have been married 25+ years, and who are ready to divorce. The problems have been there for a long, long time. They are reaping what they have knowing or unknowingly sowed. It is a bit hard to think that they did not know what they were doing, but in my office, the sad but truthful facts are right there. Painful and in plain view, for us to see. I am no farmer, but I do know that if I plant lettuce, I will not reap tomatoes! If I sow beans, I will not grow corn!
How do they not know? you might ask me. My guess is that
1. they (or one spouse) saw and ignored it;
2. they tried once or twice to uproot it;
3. they thought it was NBD (No Big Deal) at the time;
4. they lied to themselves about #1-3.
Denial is part of the problem usually. Deception is right up there, beginning with myself: I deceive myself, I think its NBD. I tell my clients that that is a Red Flag Waving! Jeremiah 17:9 states: “The heart is deceptive above all else; who can know it?” Another Red Flag is when you start a sentence with, “It’s just a little problem” or “He’s just like that/he’s always been like that”. Or some version of that.
You can’t say, “she’s just a little pregnant”.
You look the other way.
You don’t want to deal with it now.
Later, you tell yourself.
You work around the problems, hoping they’ll “just go away”.
Resentment begins to build.
You begin to pull away or turn away from your husband. You tell yourself lies and make adjustments and concessions. “I’m taking care of the kids! They need me more!” “It’s only for a little while, just ‘til I get my business up and running, then we’ll take that weekend getaway”. “It’ll get better after the kids ___________”.
Galatians 6:7 warns us that we “reap what we sow”. Are we sowing words of affirmation into our husbands’ soul? Are we sowing kind deeds? Are we answering harsh words with a gentle response as Proverbs 15:1 tells us? Am I going regularly to the Lord asking Him to cleanse my soul, so I don’t deceive myself? What seeds am I watering today that will bring forth good fruit and not bad fruit?
A word of caution is necessary, for sometimes, you may reap totally unintended consequences. Let me explain. My husband and I believe in zero debt. Well, he believes in that. I think a mortgage and a small car payment are okay. So, we’ve raised our boys with that mentality. Debt is a bad thing our boys would say. So, imagine my surprise when one son confidently states: “I’m not going to college because I’d have to take out a loan, which is a debt, which I don’t want, so I just won’t go.” Totally did not see that one coming! So, my point is, think about what you are sowing, watering, etc. Is it what you want? What will it produce 1, 5, 10, 20 years from now? Please spend some time today pondering these questions. I don’t believe you’ll be sorry.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Pam Bass is a wife, mom, and licensed Christian counselor, who has helped hundreds of people over the last 23 years. She desires wives especially to be cognizant of the way the American culture can influence our stated Christian values. Through her blog, she hopes to encourage women (in particular) to know and trust what God tells us in His word. Find out more at www.pambass.com