Daily Delight
When was the last time you sat down with the Lord and thanked Him for your spouse? Where do you keep the list filled with all the wonderful qualities you love about your husband? If you are not married, when did you last acknowledge what makes your boyfriend or closest friend so special? Has it been so long that you can’t even recall what was on that list and what drew you to them in the first place?
What I am learning is that many women stop adding to “the love list.” Instead, we allow small moments of frustration and stress to birth a new list in our minds, one that gets filled with things that frustrate and agitate us about the people we love. The love list gets lost and our special relationship begins to suffer. Let this cycle continue for too long and sure enough a critical attitude towards your husband, boyfriend, friend or family member grows. A critical attitude is like a weed in the garden of your soul my friend.
Proverbs 31 describes a woman greatly loved by God and by all people. “Her husband can trust her and she will greatly enrich his life. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life” (Proverbs 31:11-12). This woman described in Proverbs 31 was not in the habit of allowing her frustrations with her husband to alter her opinion of him. She earned the trust of her husband’s heart with her faithful love and focused her energy on enriching his life. A critical attitude did not fester in the garden of her soul and she added to her “love list” often.
Are you able to honestly say the same dear friends? I encourage you to throw away the critical list you keep and start a new one today. Get out your pen and write a thank you note to God for your husband, boyfriend or friend. Ask Him to reveal to your soul attributes that could occupy your “love list.” Pray for forgiveness for times you adopted a critical spirit as your own and let us be the kind of wives, sisters, friends and daughters that bring good to the lives of those we love each day.
About the Author
Leigh Anne is a 24-year old new bride to her best friend, Josh, currently living in Phoenix Arizona. She is an “open book” that finds great joy in sharing her stories, struggles and lessons with others to glorify God and His love and faithfulness!
Leigh Anne graduated from Grand Canyon University in 2016 with her Masters in Christian Leadership where she also played collegiate volleyball.
About four years ago, God captured Leigh Anne’s heart with the gospel of Jesus Christ and transformed her life. Her heart’s calling is encouraging women as they seek a deeper relationship with Jesus, a balanced lifestyle and to grow in their understanding of who God has made them to be!
Leigh is preparing to begin her adventure as a world traveler. She and her husband Josh will soon be traveling overseas for his professional basketball career. You can connect with her on Instagram here.