We all know two-career couples who love new clothes, new cars and all the luxuries a comfortable lifestyle brings. If he or she wants to move up the career ladder, they have to increase their hours at work. Time between them suffers so their marriage takes a hit. They are between a rock and a hard place. Matt. 19-20 helps us examine our hearts so marriage and career fall please God and not ourselves.
Having the right heart influences relationships in marriage and our careers. Forgiving someone from the heart protects us from hardness of heart, the main cause of divorce (Matt. 19:8). The disciples who heard Christ’s teaching on marriage rightly concluded it would be more profitable not to marry (Matt. 19:9-10). How I wish people contemplating marriage would count the cost and understand God’s original intention of the two becoming one flesh spiritually, emotionally and physically (Matt. 19:4-6).
Rather than a hardened or stubborn heart, we become receptive to God’s grace and forgiveness like a little child (Matt. 19:13-15).
A grace-oriented, child-like faith affects our career as illustrated by Christ’s encounter with the rich young ruler (Matt. 19:16-30). The allure of material things, high-power careers, a sexier or richer spouse, ad infinitum, can prevent us from living out our true purpose in life, that of a Kingdom lifestyle resulting in more disciples and consequently, new believers.
Our relationships in both our marriage and career must be exercised with generosity and grace, not with legalism, perfectionism, works or length of service boundaries (Matt. 20:1-16).
Rather than pursuing our own agendas or operating out of pride due to the number of people reporting to us, we need to serve others unselfishly and sacrificially (Matt. 20:23-28).
Identify your wrong thinking about God’s grace. Examples:
1. “I believe God will reward me if I work harder serving Him.”
2. “God can’t possibly love me because I have failed Him too many times. If I wasn’t addicted to ______________, then God could love me.”
