The phrase \u201cyou complete me\u201d gained popularity after the movie Jerry Maguire. Jerry, dramatically played by Tom Cruise, declares his love for Dorothy using this phrase, and Hollywood portrays this in such a romantic way. The phrase might be cute, but it is misleading. If you look to anybody but the Lord to complete you, you will always be disappointed because humans make mistakes. Relying solely on your partner for emotional fulfillment, happiness, intellectual engagement, and all of life\u2019s other needs is a one-way ticket to resentment and will unnecessarily burden your marriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, think about it this way: Your spouse is meant to complement<\/em> you, not complete you. To complement is to add something in a way that enhances or improves it. To complete is to make perfect. Only Jesus can fully satisfy, fulfill, & complete you. Avoid placing unfair exceptions on your spouse by recognizing that they should complement you, but they cannot meet your deepest needs or satisfy you as Christ can. No matter how good of a husband I aim to be, I won\u2019t complete my spouse; that is God\u2019s job, not mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Believe me, my wife does heavenly influence my level of happiness and contributes to it, but she isn\u2019t my ultimate source of happiness or joy. I will only find true, lasting joy in Christ, and this requires keeping God my priority and allowing him alone to sit on the throne of my heart, even before my spouse. Getting this out of order is dangerous, but it is very easy to do. We must be careful not to allow our spouse to become an idol in our lives. God must always be first; when he is, everything else will be in their rightful places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, day in and day out, don\u2019t put the expectation and heavy burden on your spouse to be your ultimate source of joy. It is a good thing to pursue your spouse and to contribute to their happiness, but do so with God as your ultimate priority and the expectation that he alone will satisfy your soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve heard it said, \u201cMarriage won\u2019t fix your problems, but it will reveal them.\u201d Marriage is a very beautiful, satisfying, and good thing, but if there are unaddressed issues in your life or relationship, those issues will resurface in your marriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just because you said, \u201cI do,\u201d doesn\u2019t mean those problems will magically or automatically disappear. Debt doesn\u2019t disappear; Lust doesn\u2019t just leave. You have to work hard in and for your marriage. Make adjustments, seek solutions, maybe even seek help or counseling, but don\u2019t ignore your problems. A great benefit of marriage is the gift of a partner who can encourage, help, and hold you accountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fawn Weaver once said: \u201cA great marriage isn\u2019t something that just happens. It\u2019s something that must be created.”1<\/a><\/sup> She also argues that the greatest marriages are built on these four things: teamwork, mutual respect, a healthy dose of admiration, and a never-ending portion of love & grace.2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n Marriage was and is God\u2019s idea. It is beautiful, but it takes work and intentionality to maintain a truly great marriage. If you aren\u2019t willing to work hard to plant the right seeds in your marriage, don\u2019t expect to have a happy & healthy marriage. Here are some examples of beneficial seeds you can plant that will produce a positive harvest in your marriage:<\/p>\n\n\n\n These are just a few examples, but the point is that to have a great marriage, you both must be willing to work hard to build and sustain a great marriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A marriage consists of two imperfect people sharing life together\u2014up close and personal, might I add. Obviously, there will be conflicts and disagreements. As a matter of fact, if you have no conflict at all, I\u2019d encourage you to take a closer look at your marriage and ask, \u201cWhy?\u201d Does one partner tend to just let everything go? Do you and your spouse avoid or suppress conflict, sweeping unaddressed issues under the rug? It is vital to a marriage to extend grace & practice quick forgiveness, but you can\u2019t hold everything in. You may keep the peace for the moment, but an explosion is bound to happen in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A marriage marked by continual strife is another story, but conflict can be normal\u2014even helpful\u2014when handled in a healthy and mindful way. Constructive conflict actually has the potential to bring couples closer together. Remember: It\u2019s ok to disagree, but do so without belittling or yelling at your spouse. Speak the truth in love and seek a solution together (teamwork!). At the end of the day, conflict is an opportunity to grow and improve as a couple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n Marriage is a beautiful, God-ordained union, but it is often surrounded by misconceptions that can lead to unrealistic expectations or dissatisfaction in a marriage. It’s important to recognize these lies for what they are: lies. 1. Your spouse will complete you. The phrase \u201cyou complete me\u201d gained popularity after the movie Jerry Maguire. Jerry, dramatically […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":1755,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"\n Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I remember the first time I stood up to teach the Bible to a group of women in my local church. I was terrified. Yes, I studied the passage diligently and spent hours preparing pages of notes, but I wasn\u2019t sure if my preparation was effective. Is my teaching structured well? Will the women be interested or learn anything new? Have I interpreted this passage correctly?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Many women who are asked to teach a Sunday School class, speak at a Bible study, or lead a small group experience similar fears. They often have little or no training specific to teaching Scripture and feel unequipped and insecure in their preparation. Even so, the abundance of resources available on the subject of teaching Scripture can be paralyzing for a new Bible teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why we need books like Empowered and Equipped: Bible Exposition for Women Who Teach the Scriptures<\/em><\/a>. Julia Higgins, assistant professor of ministry to women at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, seeks to provide women with the tools they need to faithfully and effectively teach the Word of God to other women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJesus commissioned disciples to teach the nations, and women of the church must take his call seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Men and women alike are given the spiritual gift of teaching, yet few resources are designed specifically for women who exposit the Scriptures. In Empowered and Equipped<\/em>, Julia Higgins steers women through the steps needed to faithfully interpret, apply, and teach a passage of Scripture. By examining both the principles and practices of teaching of Bible exposition, Higgins seeks to prepare women in the local church to make and mold disciples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n B&H Academic. 224 pp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n First we must ask, Is a book that encourages and equips women to teach Scripture necessary or even appropriate? There\u2019s much discussion today about whether the Bible permits women to teach at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an effort to submit to Scripture\u2019s teaching, many have unfortunately moved beyond what God\u2019s Word prescribes to impose unbiblical restrictions on women. To argue that women shouldn\u2019t teach Scripture in any formal setting misunderstands God\u2019s design for discipleship. Higgins argues that all followers of Christ, including women, are included in the Great Commission and its call to teach other disciples everything Christ commanded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, as Higgins explains, \u201cSome may conflate the spiritual gift of teaching with the office of pastor\/elder and draw a false conclusion that only men are to exercise the gift of teaching. While qualified men are responsible to teach and oversee the local church, that does not negate the fact that both men and women are given the spiritual gift of teaching.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n All followers of Christ, including women, are included in the Great Commission and its call to teach other disciples everything Christ commanded.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Spiritual gifts, including the gift of teaching, are given for the common good (1 Cor. 12:7<\/a>) and for building up the church (1 Cor. 14:12<\/a>). It follows that women are not only permitted to teach in appropriate settings but are needed for the growth and maturity of the body of Christ. This pattern is exemplified in the women in Scripture who are called to teach and commended for their teaching ministries, many of which Higgins references.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In light of the biblical call for women to teach, Higgins writes,<\/p>\n\n\n\n The end of the matter is this: women should be given a context where they can teach the Word in the local church. Why? Because Christ\u2019s church will grow and others will be discipled in the faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her book, therefore, provides \u201ca pathway for women to exercise teaching gifts in the local church,\u201d and specifically focuses on training women to teach women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Higgins provides an accessible yet substantial foundation for teaching Scripture. She incorporates principles and strategies from some of the most highly respected Bible teachers of our day, giving readers a well-rounded introduction to teaching Scripture without information overload.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Higgins has a high view of God\u2019s Word and a Christ-centered approach that highlights the overarching storyline of the Bible. Readers will gain essential tools for expository teaching, learning to base the central teaching focus, supporting points, and application on the main point and structure of the text itself. Higgins even encourages this kind of verse-by-verse teaching for topical messages, so that the teacher is always communicating the text\u2019s intended purpose rather than taking passages out of context as proof texts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Empowered and Equipped<\/em> walks teachers through the process of creating a Bible exposition, from understanding the nature of Scripture all the way to writing an expositional outline. Higgins covers a wide range of content from theoretical to practical, including information on biblical genres, basic doctrinal issues, and hermeneutics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She spends a large portion of the book giving instruction on studying the Bible inductively, including specific strategies for observation, interpretation, generalization, and application and for how that study translates into instruction. The scope of the book makes it suitable for beginners\u2014although they may want to work through it more slowly\u2014as well as for those who have been studying and teaching Scripture for some time but are looking for a process to follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While Empowered and Equipped<\/em> covers an impressive amount of ground in a surprisingly manageable page count, readers may leave with unanswered questions. For example, the book includes almost no discussion of incorporating meaningful illustrations or transitions. On other topics, such as the discussion of genre or the overview of theological doctrines, Higgins gives only brief introductions. Anything more, however, would make the book overwhelmingly dense, and readers can continue to explore these topics in more depth as they see fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The church needs gifted women who not only speak on a short list of \u201cfemale-friendly\u201d topics stereotypical of women\u2019s conferences or retreats but who teach the whole counsel of God for the good of the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The church needs gifted women who not only speak on a short list of \u2018female-friendly\u2019 topics but who teach the whole counsel of God for the good of the body.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Higgins appeals, \u201cThis call for women to be teachers of the Word arises from a place of care and concern for over half of the body, so that the church might grow in love for God and his Word, passing it along to others, so that they too might go and make disciples of all nations to the end that Christ\u2019s commands are observed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As this book makes its way into the hands of more and more women who treasure the Bible and long to see it elevated and proclaimed, I pray the church will be edified and God\u2019s glory made known. I pray the teachers it equips will grow in their love for Christ even as the women they teach develop new excitement for God\u2019s Word. I pray that instead of feeling insecure and unprepared, women will be empowered and equipped to teach the Scriptures.<\/p>\n","_et_gb_content_width":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"[{\"content\":\"Fawn Weaver,\u00a0Happy Wives Club: One Woman's Worldwide Search for the Secrets of a Great Marriage<\/em>\u00a0(Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2014), 176\",\"id\":\"19da9d2e-15a9-45c8-ad2f-b6a76d877c00\"},{\"content\":\"Weaver,\u00a0Happy Wives Club: One Woman's Worldwide Search for the Secrets of a Great Marriage<\/em>.\",\"id\":\"afe027d1-5c66-45a5-b83d-9ca6f608f90f\"}]"},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marriage-family","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n2. Your spouse will be your source of happiness.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. Marriage will solve all of your problems.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
4. A good marriage just happens.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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5. Healthy marriages are conflict-free<\/strong>.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nEmpowered and Equipped: Biblical Exposition for Women Who Teach the Scriptures <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Should Women Teach the Bible?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Helpful Foundation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Empowered and Equipped to Teach God\u2019s Word<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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