Becoming Fireproof
Friday, February 13th, 2009“Fireproof doesn’t mean that fire will never come, but that when the fire comes, that you’ll be able to withstand it.”
I don’t know about you, but when life gets tough, and a little “hot under the collar,” I want to be able to have the right stuff to face it.
I think many people feel that marriage should not be hard work. But the fact is, it is. Very hard. We face so many things as separate people; so when we unite it is a constant compromise.
While we are doing this promotion on KSBJ and Alex Kendrick is answering questions, I’ve been doing a little experiment of my own.
I’ve polled many of my high school and college friends over the last few weeks. What I have found is that many of them are on their second marriage and are not any closer to being any happier than they were before their divorce. I didn’t ask these questions to judge them, but merely to understand is their life any better? Do they feel like the pressure is off?
The answer, from the majority of them, was no. As I realize that, I also look at my own marriage. We have been married 15 years. Many of those years have been great, some not-so-great, other years have been littered with deaths, job losses, and additional sadness.
I want to Fireproof my marriage! I prayed about this and took action by deleting guys from my social network. When I told a high school buddy of mine I was no longer allowing men on my social networking page unless they were business associates or related to me, his response was, “You ROCK! What devotion you have to your husband!” Another guy wrote me and said, “TRUST each other.”
What the TRUST commenter fails to do is recognize that the issue is more about the “SLOW FADE” that Casting Crowns talks about…it isn’t wrong to talk to someone of the opposite sex or to have them on your social network. What is wrong is the path it could take….and for me, I didn’t want the slightest hint of impropriety. I value my family and marriage more than anyone or anything. We do trust each other; but the amount of “grey” out there among black and white can be misleading and a trap.
My DARE, if you are willing, for you is this, DARE to be different–pray about how you can take your marriage a step above what it is now. Ask God to be your Guide into how your can meet your spouse’s needs as their partner. Then, let me know your experience!