Conflict is inevitable. How we prepare for it and how we respond can determine how we weather interpersonal challenges. It is valuable for us to realize that the same Father who formed us as individuals in His Hand also created our spouse. They are not just our mates, but rather esteemed sons and daughters of God. Like us, they are human with complexities, existing with areas of brilliance and flaws in the same being. Couples counseling can help.
Conflicts can present opportunities, as they hold the potential to bless our lives and unveil facets of the Father’s character where we are a captive audience. Unfortunately, we are not always receptive to hope, as disappointment and disenchantment have sullied anticipation for what we imagined.
Sometimes, what we once desired to experience with our mate gets lost and swallowed up by schedules and rhythms of life causing relationship issues. The daily responsibilities of work and household management become more central than the God who brought us together. As a result, we lose sight, failing to see and forgetting to continue viewing our spouse through the lens of God’s love and artistry.
Relationship issues revealed in couples counseling.
There is hope, though when we acknowledge we are off track. Once recognized, relationship issues can be explored and resolved through prayer, mindset and behavioral changes, ongoing communication, and couples counseling. We can ask and consider that the Lord may be retooling troubles, inviting us into experiences that accomplish a greater aim.
Through these challenges, we will face opposition from the enemy of our souls; but it does not eliminate God’s open door of discovery (1 Corinthians 16:9). We can ponder how the circumstance can work to draw us together, discover something new, and deepen intimacy.
We can also explore the Father’s design and desire when we ask the Lord to show us what He sees in our daily interactions. We can also use the help of couples counseling.
Respond to what has been recognized.
Our marriages are a place where the Lord wants to display His creativity at work. It may not always present in a way that is consistent with the methods we would have chosen. God often uses differences to engage and expose us to something new and better, even while we are in a dry place (Isaiah 43:18-19).
Encountering differences with our spouse serves us both and positions us to discover and gather fresh revelation from the Holy Spirit. Here, we receive and release His grace and grow in our capacity to follow Him. This enhances our response to one another’s evolving needs. With the help of the Holy Spirit, our work, and the support of a professional who is trained in couples counseling, there is hope to untangle our relationship issues.
Remember why we married.
One of the first places we can launch greater victory in our marriages is when we agree that our spouse is not our enemy. Let us remind ourselves that the battles believers face are spiritual, and often play out through our natural life circumstances (Ephesians 6:12).
The enemy’s tactics are not new to humanity and the Lord makes us increasingly aware of this (2 Corinthians 2:11). The adversary has been studying us, taking note of our patterns and triggers. It comes as little surprise that he manipulates these to orchestrate encounters, temptation, and discord that we encounter as people problems or conflicts with our spouse.
Reset the marriage.
It may help to consider that our partner is not just our spouse; he or she is created in God’s image. If they are not professing faith in Christ, we have an opportunity to live the love that transforms our hearts and holds potential and power to set them apart for God’s work in our home (1 Corinthians 7:14). If they have a relationship with Christ, they are ultimately the Father’s responsibility as a son or daughter, not ours to change, control, or parent.
We can seek the Lord’s wisdom for how to best connect amid our relationship issues, initiating positive influence from the inside of hearts that are responsive to the Lord. The Holy Spirit will help to reset the vision where we may need to adjust our spiritual and practical approaches, such as couples counseling, to foster the more satisfying connection we desire in marriage.
Next steps for renewal through couples counseling.
No matter what we face in terms of marital conflict, there is beauty that God wants to bring out of our marriages. Despite the threats that come, we can navigate the complexity with grace, wisdom, and joy. Although unseen forces seek an opening to leverage harm in our personal lives and our marriages, the Lord has furnished tools and resources for us to experience unparalleled victory.
Locate a professional on this site, schedule an appointment, and begin the couples counseling journey that will support you and your mate. The richness of divine design and desire await your discovery, even as you navigate relationship issues in your marriage.
“Couple in Counseling”, Courtesy of Anthony Shkraba, Pexels.com, CC0 License
Kate Motaung: CuratorKate Motaung is the Senior Writer, Editor, and Content Manager for a multi-state company. She is the author of several books including Letters to Grief, 101 Prayers for Comfort in Difficult Times, and A Place to Land: A Story of Longing and Belonging...
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