Finding Fulfillment in God
by Gary Thomas
Our close friends have a son named Nolan. When he
was just four years old, he saw me carrying some rather large boxes and
asked me, in all sincerity, "Gary, are you strongest, or is God
strongest?"
His Dad laughed a little too hard at that one. Of
course we adults think its absurd to compare our physical strength with
God's. But how many of us "adults" have then turned around and asked,
perhaps unconsciously, "Are you going to fulfill me, or will God fulfill
me?" For some reason, that question doesn't sound as absurd to us as
the one about physical strength, but it should!
I believe that much of the dissatisfaction we
experience in marriage comes from expecting too much from it. Yes,
without a doubt there should be moments of happiness, meaning, and a
general sense of fulfillment. But my wife can't be God, and I was created with a spirit that craves God. Anything less than God, and I'll feel an ache.
The ultimate purpose of this book is not to make you love your spouse more. It's to equip you to love your God more.
Content taken from Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy? by Gary Thomas, published by Zondervan Publishing. $12.49, Softcover. |
The Art of Gift-Giving
by Dr. Gary Chapman
 When is the last time you gave your spouse a gift? What did you give?
What motivated you to give the gift? I hope it was love.
One of the fundamental languages of love is "gift giving". My academic
background is Anthropology - the study of cultures. We have
never found a culture where "gift giving" is not an expression of love.
It's universal to give gifts. That's why fathers often say to their
sons, "Don't forget her birthday, son. Always get her a gift. And,
never fail to get her a gift on your wedding anniversary."
The father is giving good advice, but if "receiving gifts" is her
primary love language, the son will need to give gifts on "non-special"
days as well. A rose bought from a street vendor or picked from his
yard can fill the "love tank" of his wife. Everyone likes to receive
gifts, but for some people receiving a gift makes the romantic bells
begin to ring.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important are gifts to your spouse?
If your
answer is 8, 9, or 10, I suggest that you not go home without a gift.
Join us this week as we discuss: The Art of Gift Giving.
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