This weekend was Part 4 of our study of the Song of Solomon called Love Song. In a message entitled The Heart of the Matter, Pastor Lane dealt with the issue of conflict in the home. Conflict is inevitable in marriage and relationships. Get the audio from this weekend to learn God’s wisdom on handling conflict.
During the study, Pastor Lane shared 10 Never’s for Relational Conflict in Marriage from the book The Mingling of Souls by Matt & Lauren Chandler. These commitments will insure that reconciliation is possible through any rift you experience in your relationship.
- Never react to your mate rashly or harshly. Respond with gentleness and self-control. Proverbs 29:11 – “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise person holds it in check.”
- Never touch your mate out of temper or frustration. Ever!
- Never seek to shame your spouse in public or private. Putting him/her in their place, knocking them down to size shows immaturity and a lack of love.
- Never fight in front of your kids. Or use them as leverage in a disagreement. Kids learn by what they see. They’re learning how to resolve conflict from us.
- Never mention your spouse’s parents or other family members. Keep the issue on the issue.
- Never dig up the past; try to stay on topic. “Love keeps no record of wrongs” 1 Cor 13:5. Even the justice system has statutes of limitations.
- Never try to win. Remember, you are one person. If someone loses, that means everybody loses. Like saying, “Your side of the boat is sinking.”
- Never yell, use put downs, or verbally defame your spouse. “Don’t say something permanently hurtful because your temporarily angry.”
- Never withhold physical intimacy or sex to manipulate. 1 Corinthians 7:3-5.
- Never put off seeking resolution. “Don’t let the sun go down on your anger” Ephesians 4:26
Join us next Sunday for the final part of our Love Song series. 10am at the Maritime Museum in Madisonville.
