One morning I was getting ready for work in the midst of sad-wife syndrome and five-kid chaos. I was doing OK until lost keys entered the picture. In that busy moment, by God’s grace, I remembered Philippians 4:6, “Don’t be anxious about anything….”
Right then and there, I went from OK to not OK in about five seconds. Then, thankfully, I stopped and thought “chill out! It is not a big deal.” Have you ever had one of these mornings? If so, what do you typically do to overcome them? I want to give you some quick advice for newlyweds that if I had it to do all over again, I would make sure I did it this way.
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.”
—Mark 10:45
Advice for newlyweds
When something seems to go wrong, what do you do? If you’ve ever been like me and had one of those crazy mornings when nothing seems to go right—and then you lose your keys! What do you do?
Let me take you back to that fateful morning. Once all was going wrong and I had lost my keys. As if it couldn’t get worse, as I started to walk out the door, my wife said, “I’d love it if someone would fold the clothes!” I quickly thought (and fortunately did not say) “I need to get to work. You fold the clothes.”
Then, I reflected and realized “I am working late that night (until midnight to be exact) and working all day that Saturday. Plus, Marilyn had been working hard for Grace Marriage all during that week.” So, not only did I chill out, I folded clothes. This small task made a bad morning immediately better.
What’s my advice for newlyweds? If I had it to do all over again, I’d learn to stay on track, chill out more, and trust God with everything. And, to be honest, I’d learn to do the laundry!
Not a newlywed? Whether you just got married or you’ve been married for 100 years, here are a few quick rules you’ll find helpful for having a happy marriage! : )
Rule #1: Never both be angry at the same time.
Rule #2: Never yell at each other unless the house is on fire.
Rule #3: If one of you has to win an argument, let it be your mate.
Rule #4: Neglect the whole world rather than each other.
Rule #5: It takes two to make an argument, and the one in the wrong is the one who does the most talking.
Grace Marriage Mission
When you start getting stressed—stop, pray and put things in perspective. Then, humble yourself and serve. Do three things each day to help your spouse get by. When you don’t want to do something, it is sometimes a good indication you should.
If you have any reservations about serving, meditate on Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.”
Brad Rhoads is co-founder of Grace Marriage.