Answers for Each Day - October 1
The Eighth Commandment of Marriage: Be a Person of Integrity
Exodus 20:15 gives us the eighth commandment for marriage,
You shall not steal.
You may be wondering how stealing applies to marriage. Simple. Not to steal is to be a person of integrity.
If you are always cheating or cutting corners, it will be hard for your spouse to respect you. Your uprightness should make your marriage partner feel proud. Your spouse and your family ought to testify of your integrity. This is really one of the things at the heart of a good marriage.
If you are married to somebody, and you know they cheat their customers, it is just hard to respect that person. You cannot respect someone who does not have integrity.
This is a big issue that many people fly right by. But it is vital to a healthy and vibrant marriage because it is hard to fully give yourself to someone who does not have integrity.
If you find that your spouse is holding back, if you feel like he or she does not respect you, take a look inside and see if you are compromising with your integrity. Do you cheat on your taxes? Do you tell that "little white lie" to protect yourself or gain an advantage?
Do you represent yourself one way, when in fact in your heart you believe something totally different? Are you like the man Solomon speaks of in Proverbs 23:7?
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. "Eat and drink!" he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
If this is an issue in your life, take it to God today. He will help you become the person of integrity He desires you to be. And when you do, you will find your spouse will come to respect you, and your marriage will be strengthened!
Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to connect with God.
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