Tag Archives: negative comments

Battling with Discouragement?

It’s easy to fall into the pit of discouragement. I’d suggest discouragement is one of Satan’s greatest tools. It’s one I’ve been battling lately. Half the problem stems from a cold or flu bug that doesn’t want to leave and half from trying to get work done and not getting far with it, due to other problems. Sadly, discouragement affects too many people in our churches. It can be easy to feel that what you are doing is not appreciated or even noticed by anyone. It can be easy to wonder why you even bother. Your pastor is not immune … Continue reading →

The Importance of Encouragement

It was really brought home to me once again recently the absolute importance of encouragement. Yes, I know I sound like a broken record (showing my age there!) but I after experiencing quite the opposite recently, I felt very deflated. No, it wasn’t Mick but a friend. By the time I’d been on the receiving end of a string of negative comments, I ended up wondering why I had bothered. Beth has covered this topic before in regard to toxic friends who undermine and leave you feeling bad about yourself. The thing is, I’m not sure the person even realized … Continue reading →

Be Careful

One of the things we need to be careful about is in-laws, not just when we are with them but in the comments we make about them. We all know the jokes about mother-in–laws. There’s often some basis for it, in that mothers in particular seem to have trouble letting go of family and sharing them with the new spouse. I know some of you in the forums have experienced these problems. You might find that your spouse’s mother for example is too demanding of their time. You might find them overbearing or protective or you fill in……whatever the particular … Continue reading →

Don’t Expect Perfection

Don’t expect perfection- it sounds obvious since none of us are perfect people. We all have our faults and personality traits and things we could and should change. If we’re honest, we know we’re not perfect, but how often do we expect perfection from our spouse? To take an example. How often do they offer to do a job and we expect them to do it perfectly – which of course means exactly the way we would do it. More often that not, that won’t turn out to be the reality. Think about this example. Suppose your spouse volunteered to … Continue reading →

Are You up for a Dare?

Are you up for a dare – a dare to enliven your marriage? 40 days could change your marriage, if you let it. According to experts it takes anywhere from 20 to 40 days for something to become a habit. So, doing one positive thing for our spouse each day over 40 days to show we love them would become a habit we could incorporate into our marriage. This morning I received a email suggesting this 40 day love challenge in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day. It meant starting on New Years Day. Now obviously it doesn’t have … Continue reading →

Are You Eroding Your Marriage?

Negative comments and nagging can have a similar result on a marriage as wind and waves to on a rock – they erode it. The photo below, which Mick took, is of Australia Rock, in Narooma,NSW. When I was a child my Mom always told me, ‘if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything.’ It’s better to be quiet. Often when Mick and I are watching a movie or a sitcom, we see the couple having an argument. Then they start to make up and you can see it coming, the guy adds another comment that re-sparks the argument … Continue reading →

Dealing with Criticism

Sometimes God speaks clearly to us from the Bible or during our prayer time about sins we need to confess in our lives. Sometimes it comes through the words of another person. The apostle Paul had harsh words for some of the churches. The Galatians he challenged about trading in the gospel message for one based on works, He called them ‘foolish Galatians,’ 3:1 and went on to detail why they are being foolish. He also challenged the Corinthians about their behavior, 1 Corinthians 1:11, 3:3 ‘not to shame them but because he loves them,’ 1 Corinthians 4:14. In 1 … Continue reading →

When You Feel Like Giving Up

You’ve considered and prayed about a situation or area of ministry. You’ve worked hard to do the best job you can. And still things go wrong. The situation goes from bad to worse. You wonder- why? Where is God in all this? Why isn’t God answering my prayers? What have I done wrong? Around that time thoughts of giving up usually creep in because it all seems too hard. But whatever the situation or ministry you are involved in, before you give up and decide it’s all too hard, read this story of the Samburu people in Kenya. Everyone, it … Continue reading →