God’s Design and Desire: Couples Counseling and Relationship Issues
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 [...]