We're on the same team!

Hello friends! A special greeting to those of you joining me from the Encouragement Cafe. It's a joy to be sharing a devotional there today. (You can read "Quit Keeping Score" HERE.)

Growing up sports were my life. I loved watching, practicing and playing. I enjoyed all kinds of sports and liked keep tracking of athletes and teams. Winning and losing are a big part of sports and as you read in my devotional that mindset became part of my marriage.

When two teams go head to head, it's a given there will be a winner and a loser, but I've learned that can't be the case when a man and woman become one. I'll admit it took awhile for me to really understand this. I didn't set out to be in competition with Job, but in time I started keeping score. In basketball it was good when our team's point total increased, but in marriage that's not so good.

At times it seemed Job and I were going head to head in a heated one on one competition. There never really was any trash talking as neither of us are real screamers, but I did a lot of internalizing. This only led to problems as the minutes ticked by and the numbers in the win/lose column increased. Thankfully as I grew as a wife and a believer, God opened my eyes to this problem, this sin in my heart. And He also brought a verse across my path that we eventually claimed as our marriage verse.

Psalm 34:3 says, "Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together!"

It's hard for opponents to do anything together and in a way God spoke to my basketball brain with that one simple word - together! Job and I are on the same team and were created for the same purpose. God designed each of us individually to glorify Him and if we come together we can shine His light even more...especially in a world that continues to drift apart.

Friends, marriage is hard. Just yesterday our Pastor said, "Every marriage is challenging." I think we're kidding ourselves if we say we have it figured out. There's always more to learn, new layers to pull back and maturing to take place. This won't, and can't happen, when we keep score and see our husband as the opponent.

Today, will you instead join me in seeing our husbands as teammates, ones who we can glorify God with? Encourage him, support him, and help him. Do all the things a good teammate does...cheer for him, be grateful when he succeeds and thank him for the assist! Remember it's not about who did what, or gets what, but Who this life is for and the glory He receives!

My Teammate and Me - July 28, 2001

Grateful for change and a stronger team!!