The Power of Influence

Following on from our last post about responsibility is a post about power and I'm not talking about He-Man here. I’m talking about the power to influence things within your marriage not to control them.

There have been times where I’ve been too focused on trying to change certain traits of my wife’s character that I failed to take stock of how my own behaviour was stoking the fire I was trying to put out!? I feel like Jesus was talking me directly when he said, “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”(Matthew 7:5). Ouch! But it's true. No matter how much I think I have it together I am no Mr Know-it-all, and neither are you. It would be far better if we use what power we have to humbly ask for the Lord's wisdom (who gives freely without reproach!) in these trying situations. Ask Him search our hearts and uncover the behaviour that causes strife in our relationships and learn how to handle things better going forward. That is where the real power lies and that is where real change will come from. Remember that we are dealing with “...Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us…” (Ephesians 3:20).