I asked the Lord to show me what other areas I’d given up. One of my teens came to mind and I realized that I’d stopped praying about a particular issue. It was complex, ingrained and the roots embedded so deep that I had apparently concluded—in hindsight—that it wouldn’t change. In my mind, this was simply the way things were. I was believing another lie. The truth is that God’s grace and power are well able to transform any situation.
Is there an aspect of your marriage in which you’ve given up because, What’s the use? Is there an issue with one of your children about which you’ve concluded, That’s just the way it is? Apathy is a flaming arrow. Its poison leads to a posture of retreat. We must learn to recognize such deadly thoughts and reject them. Rather than giving ground, we must stand firm in the Lord’s strength.
2. We Fight by Walking in Faith.
When we see the reality of our marriages and families—patterns that have formed, habits that have persisted, dysfunction that has normalized—there is a temptation to walk by sight, to believe it will always be so. But that path weakens our resolve and renders us vulnerable to discouragement. Moreover, it paints a picture devoid of the spiritual reality.
Faith lifts our gaze above the earthly to a Savior who understands our weaknesses, strengthens us to endure and renews our hope. Faith gives us fight. It reminds us that our own reality was once without hope, and yet, by the grace of God, we were saved and raised to new life. If the Lord can work a miracle of regeneration in our own hearts, surely he can work mightily in our marriages and families.
3. We Fight by Persevering in Prayer.
If there is any area in which we should never give ground, it is prayer. Of course the enemy shoots the poison of apathy, such that we feel prayer is useless—because it’s such a powerful weapon in our arsenal.
Here is one of many promises that help us stand:
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. (1 John 5.14–15″>1 John 5:14–15)
We can pray with confidence as we seek the Lord for the spiritual health and well-being of our marriages and families. And as we pray, we stand in faith and persevere, believing he will hear and answer.
By God’s grace, we will not give any ground. By his grace, we will fight well for our families.
