Charlyne Cares Daily Devotional - Helping Stop Divorce God's Way

Each Monday we share a guest devotional written by a fellow stander. The views expressed below are those of the writer and may not reflect the views of Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc. or the Steinkamps.

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I Am Second!

In recent weeks, we have seen testimony after testimony of various people, both great and small, declare their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They have openly and proudly declared that Jesus Christ (God) is number one in their lives and that their personal role in this life comes second. Such a person is Colt McCoy, quarterback for the Texas Longhorns and a 2009 Heisman Trophy contender. Colt and many like him got the message that Christ taught throughout His ministry...that God is number one in everything. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus cries out to His Father...

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Luke 22:42

Christ, being both fully God and fully man, states here plainly that He is yielding to or showing obedience to His Father's will about His path to the Cross. Have you ever thought what would have been our own destiny if Christ had followed His own will and took a path away from the Cross? Yet Christ humbled Himself, choosing to be second to (yielded to) His Father's will, and stuck to the plan for our salvation that had existed since the beginning of time...

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!" Philippians 2:3-8

Jesus often took a lessor role than being 'number one' as seen in this passage...

"You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I." John 14:28

"...for the Father is greater than I." Jesus modeled His life in such a way as to show us how we should live. His life was full of love and humility. Have you ever thought where each of us would be if we had recognized our role in our marriages and we had placed Christ first in our lives rather than placing our jobs, our spouse, our money, or our position on the throne of our lives? We would not be facing family breakdown with separation and/or divorce.

So many marriages would have survived the family stresses that are so common these days. Families (a father and a mother) would be raising their children with Christian values rather than a single parent juggling trying to keep a job while parenting their children without the daily help of the other parent. How many of you have said 'I am second' to Christ? While some of us may have taken a lessor role than number one in our personal lives, who or what held the number one spot? In many cases it may have been your spouse, your position, your money (possessions), or your job. None of these choices live up to Christ's standards and they have but one result in the long run...failure.

Your spouse cannot measure up to being god and your job has only limited satisfaction over time. Station in this life is fleeting as are the possessions we acquire. The long and the short of it is that without Christ on the throne of our lives, nothing else in this world matters. Family relationships crumble and marriages end up in divorce court.

Was not this Christ's message for mankind? A message of humility in everything we do...

"...All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." 1 Peter 5:5b-6

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:12-13

Be Christ-like! Be humble. Be willing to give up your life for your spouse as Christ did for you at Calvary. Shout out that as for you, 'I am second' so that Jesus Christ (God) can take number one billing in your life. When you do, your marriage relationship can be restored as your spouse sees and understands that Jesus Christ lives in you and He is 'Number One' in your life.

I am second!

Standing firm until parted by death,
Ben in Texas
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
Post Office Box 10548
Pompano Beach, FL 33061 USA
http://rejoiceministries.org  (Ministry web site)
http://rejoiceministries.org/r.php?num=tizwl  (Bookstore)
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Devotional Copyright© 2010 Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.

Scripture quoted by permission and are from the Holy Bible; New International Version® Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.