Letting God Fight for You

The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. — Exodus 14:14

Recently, Sadie and I got into a minor tiff because, evidently, I had had a bad tone all day long. We’d been running errands and catching a movie, and when we got in the car afterward, I asked her a simple logistical question and got a sassy comment in reply. I mentioned the sassiness, and she lit up — and not in the good way. We’re talking dangerous sparks.

“You’ve got a problem with my tone now?” she said. “What about the tone you’ve had all day long?”

Well, now we had a thing.

In the book of Ephesians, Paul told us to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (4:32). This is the concluding verse in the chapter, and it is also the last verse under the subheading “The New Life” in my ESV Bible. This is profound to me because before I knew Jesus, I was not walking in this “newness of life” that the Bible so often talks about.

Without Jesus, I am not naturally kind or tenderhearted or even quick to forgive others, but because He has imparted all of these attributes to me, I can embrace them.

When Sadie was rude to me that day, my initial reaction and instinct was not to be kind or extend tenderness. It was to be rude and get defensive. It can be hard to change old habits and instinctive reactions.

Sadie and I talk a lot about what makes a marriage work — or what makes any intimate relationship work, for that matter. One theme we keep coming back to is this: while we may argue from time to time, in the end

• we need to fight for each other, not against each other.

And when that’s hard for us to do, we find that if we are willing to ask for God’s help and be silent before Him, He will go before us, soften our hearts, and fight the battles with us. We’re committed to seeing each other through to becoming the people God wants us to be.

Hours after our little “tone discussion,” Sadie and I put Honey to bed and then sat down on the couch to talk. God helped us each own our part of the day:

“I was tired all day and took it out on you,” I said.
“I was fed up with your mood and just snapped,” she said.
I’m sorry.
Will you forgive me?
We are better than this.

There’s something a lot like Jesus going on in us when we fight for, not against, each other. Even when I’m in a bad mood, when I am hurtful to Him, He is committed to loving me and quick to forgive. He is always on my side. He is always for me. And He fights for both me and my relationships.

It’s easy to get mad. But life is so much sweeter when we let God do our fighting. Today, when we get mad, let’s take a deep breath and say a prayer before we respond.

How to Put Love First

Who is the person in your life you are most likely to take a “tone” with? Do something extra sweet and kind for that person today. If you’re currently having a moment, apologize for your part and offer better understanding as to where your tone is coming from. If not, give a hug, a text, a coffee — something — that says, I see you, I love you, and you matter to me.

~ by Christian

Excerpted with permission from How to Put Love First by Sadie Robertson Huff & Christian Huff, copyright Sadie Robertson Huff and Christian Huff.

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Your Turn

All of us believers need to learn how to be better at loving others. It’s critical given that God is love and we’re made in His image and are meant to reflect Him. How can you love those around you today? Come share with us. We want to hear from you. And, Happy Valentine’s Day! ~ Devotionals Daily