Shootin' straight with your spouse

Some of you who read this blog may not be married and this is a post about being married, but it doesn't mean you have to tune it out. Instead, read it and log it away for future reference.

I have found that one of the most effective ways that God speaks to me is through my wife. There are those times when I'm wrestling with some inner turmoil about a decision or an area of struggle and she will bust out some words of wisdom that I definitely needed to hear.

Let me give you a recent example. I love to read but technical books bog me down. Yeah, I'm referring to many books on theology out there that as a pastor I'm "supposed" to read. So instead I choose every so often to invest in a good mystery or espionage novel to satisfy my cravings. Lately I've been reading a couple of books in a series by a well-known author who weaves intricate tales of murder/deception/whodunnit that keep you on the edge until the end. The "problem" with these books is that, while the villains change from book to book, the main character is the same and the plot changes very little as well so the next book in the series is not a whole lot different than the last one. Plus, to be frank, the language is at times a bit rougher than I need to read.

Last night she noticed the latest book by this author on my nightstand and asked if I was reading another one. Somewhat defensively I said yes and then she said she was going to buy me some good theology books. I changed the subject and left it at that but the work had already begun in my heart. In fact just earlier in the evening I had challenged my students to focus more on reading Scripture and one of the reasons that I gave them was that God's Word has a way of moving us that nothing else can. I realized that I was being moved by these other books and it was not in a direction that always pleases my Lord.

I'm convinced that one of the primary reasons that God puts a husband or wife in your life is to sharpen you. Time and again my wife has served to polish the rough edges of my life and for that I am grateful. I am glad that she is not afraid to confront me with what I need to hear and I pray that I am always man enough to hear her and heed her words. When your spouse starts shooting it straight with you it's always best to stay right in the path of shot.