Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. Proverbs 10:12
Today is Valentine’s Day! I day when I think back to a sixteen-year-old girl in high school getting a valentine from a special guy asking her out. That was the beginning of my love story.
After being together for more than twenty years, I feel more love and respect for my husband than I did when we were first married. He loves, protects, and guides. He’s kind, hard working, complimentary, helpful, understanding, loyal, and tender. He doesn’t shy away during rough times and listens for the Lord. He’s an outstanding father and husband. I see strength when I see my hubby; someone I look up to.
Ok, I’m not usually that sappy. The boys would be totally rolling their eyes right now, even though I’m positive they secretly like me talking about their dad in that way. They don’t know that I have a few love letters for them to find someday just to gross them out about how beautiful their mom was in their dad’s eyes!
Was it always flowers and sunshine? Absolutely not! Was it worth it? For sure, but there were some things we needed to learn in order to have the hearts and rainbows. The biggest thing…self-control. I don’t know how many times we’d put other people’s feelings and thoughts before one another’s. We’d have a bad day and be short tempered with the one that we should be showing the most respect to. We’d see faults instead of focusing on the great things the other did. Sometimes, it was much easier being nice with strangers! How wrong was that? We had to get passed that with self-control.
The character trait for today is Self-Control-rejecting wrong desires and doing what is right (definition from characterfirst.com).
We had to learn to control our tongue, but not only that, our thoughts! We needed to start seeing the amazing attributes of each other. Self-control isn’t just stopping you from doing something wrong, it can actually allow us to reject negative feelings and thoughts. Then, replace them with positive ones. It’s amazing what nurturing words come out when the good is already rolling around on the inside.
Use that self-control to make great things happen in your relationships! I was challenged to keep a gratitude journal and I’m challenging you. Every day come up with at least three things you are grateful for. Look specifically at what people do and jot down those nice things. You start seeing people in a whole new way. Critical thoughts start leaving because instead of seeing wrong actions and words, you see the good. You’ll be surprised how fast you can fill up whole pages!
Reject being critical and stirring up conflict, but instead show love (a verb…an action word…a choice) through self-control.
