From time to time I would hop an airplane to travel to a particular destination. With careful planning which includes booking a flight, reserving a rental vehicle as well as reserving a hotel room for my visit, I carefully map out each component of my trip. All of these carefully thought out plans must be in place to allow my trip to go well without an immediate need.
Cast your Cares on the Lord and He Will Sustain You
Now, here presents another challenging objective. The challenge is packing my bags or luggage with what I believe I might need to carry with me. Like many of us, we tend to over pack our bags or luggage with unnecessary things we thought we might need to carry along. In the instance of marriage, like baggage, so often we pack and carry burdens in our marriages that we do not need to carry or bear. During the course of a life-long journey in marriage, we often find it difficult to release those burdens. Scripture states, “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken” (Psalm 55:22).
The Viscosity of Baggage Interrupts the Fluid Flow of Marriage
Many couples make the mistake of allowing unnecessary emotional baggage to become a destructive tool that will potentially destroy their relationship or marriage. When we think about the burdens of marriage, we must consider the viscosity of baggage which interrupts the fluid flow of a harmonious relationship with our spouse. God intends for marriage to be a catalyst for modeling and walking out His purpose and plan.
Carefully and Strategically Resolve the Burdens in Marriage
Although there are many variations of baggage that burdens the hearts and relationships of couples, we can certainly find refuge in God by seeking and asking Him for wisdom and guidance. One burden that often interjects itself into marriage is the negative influence of family members or others. Genesis 2:24 says of marriage, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” In order to become one flesh in marriage, we must carefully and strategically resolve the burdens in marriage that is prohibiting relationship growth.
God Patiently Awaits Each Day for Us to Cast our Cares Upon Him
When we totally surrender our burdens and baggage to God, He will restore, reconcile, and heal us by lifting those burdens from our hearts. Unnecessary baggage in marriage only serves to weigh us down and make our relationship with our spouse less effective. As God patiently awaits each day for us to cast our cares upon Him, He is extremely excited that we will trust Him to release the barriers of our burdens to Him.
Developing New Habits Out of Impulsive Acts of Love and Respect
As husband and wife, when we relationally agree to face challenging baggage together, we can start reversing those unintentional actions and begin to rejuvenate our relationship with simple acts of care and consideration. In order to experience the joy of marriage God desires for us as a couple, we must also learn to cultivate a closer connection with our spouse by removing the baggage and rebuilding love. Sometimes the rebuilding process is as simple as developing new habits out of impulsive acts of love and respect for one another along the journey. Remember, burdens are not meant to be carried, they are meant to be given to God. Journey well. God bless you!
-Terome and Ronda
Devoted Spouses -Living the Experience 