Honor One Another Above Yourself
As our Heavenly Father commands us in Romans 12:10 “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves”. This is an excellent excerpt from the Holy Bible instructing everyone to put others before us. I will discuss ways in how to apply this within a marital relationship. There are three points I would like to focus on within the context of “honor one another above yourselves”: a) spiritual growth b) emotional needs c) financial support.
Spiritual growth: I am wondering if you thought that spiritual growth was an individual task? If that is what you were wondering, I am here to tell you that it can be both, individual and as a couple. By growing your spiritual life together as a couple, you will be there to encourage each other towards this goal. Here are ways that you can grow spiritually with your spouse:
Pray
Read the Bible
Serve within your church
Become involved with charitable organizations
Emotional Needs: Check in daily with your spouse’s feelings and actively listen to what he/she has to say. Provide a safe space for your spouse to share their day and become their ally by seeing it through their lens. This does not mean that you should neglect your own emotional needs, those are as important. However, by being there for your spouse, within some time, you will see that your emotional needs are met.
Financial Support: This is an area that may appear to be simple, but for many couples, they find it to be challenging. Couples who struggle with providing financial security in their marriages often will tell me that this area does not usually become an issue until they are ready to purchase a home, start a family, or planning for retirement. How do you apply honoring your spouse above yourself in the area of finances? Make sure to save enough money every month to do something special for your significant other rather than focusing on the things you would like to buy for yourself. Always leave some funds to spend on your spouse.
As God has loved us by sending His only begotten son to die for our sins and provide us with eternal life, we must also love our spouse/significant other and focus on ways to honor them by placing their needs first.
