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Looking for a Good Excuse? - Part 3: When Pride Drives Decisions, Consulting Spouse Helps · Couples’ Journey Podcast Channel

• 0:00
  Has pride and independence ever kept you from consulting your spouse on important decisions?
• 0:06
  Hey everyone, welcome back to the Couples Journey blog series podcast.
• 0:11
  We're on part three of Looking for a Good Excuse? Today, Ray shares a powerful
• 0:16
  reflection on how seeking God's wisdom through wise counsel and humility transforms
• 0:21
  our approach to marriage.
• 0:23
  Stay with us. Your journey to a Christ-centered partnership continues now. Here's Ray.
• 0:30
  Proverbs 15, verse 22 says, Without consultation, plans are frustrated,
• 0:37
  but with many counselors, they succeed.
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  I used to have a habit of making purchases without consulting my wife.
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  I also rarely considered having a small circle of trusted people I would turn
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  to for advice on important matters.
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  I would give thoughts to some decision based on the credentials or reputation
• 1:01
  of the person in front of me.
• 1:03
  But my years of independence had established a behavior of self-reliance so
• 1:10
  much so that I often ignored my wife's input.
• 1:14
  One time in 2016, my wife was surprised when I picked her up from work in a brand new Audi Q7.
• 1:24
  I could see her shock and a bit of anger on her face.
• 1:29
  But because we had guests at the time, she managed to hold back her reaction.
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  At that moment, I didn't realize how much my actions might affect her.
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  Or how they reflected on my attitudes towards our marriage.
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  It was only later, after I accepted Jesus Christ, at the end of 2018,
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  that I began to understand my role as a husband and steward of God's blessing.
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  Looking back, I see how my reckless decision to buy that car without considering
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  the consequences not only impacted our finances, but also strained my relationship with my wife.
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  When the COVID pandemic hit, our business was deeply affected.
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  The car payment became a huge concern.
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  It was tempting to blame myself, to get discouraged, or even to spark arguments with my wife.
• 2:31
  But we choose instead to come before God, pleading for His grace,
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  mercy, and love. By His grace alone, we survived that difficult season and managed
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  to pay off that vehicle completely.
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  Many husbands fall into Satan's trap of pride.
• 2:50
  Pride in being the primary provider and forget the value of their wife's opinion or feedback.
• 2:58
  I've also seen how focusing only on having a circle of counselors,
• 3:04
  but having a poor connection and
• 3:08
  communication with your wife can lead to ignoring her voice altogether.
• 3:14
  Sadly, some believe that listening to their wife's counsel might indicate weakness,
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  but if that perception goes unchecked, it can have serious consequences for our marriage.
• 3:29
  It's only through Jesus Christ that we can be freed from these wrong perspectives
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  and unhealthy behaviors.
• 3:37
  It's through His grace that we can face the consequences of past decision and move forward.
• 3:46
  Satan wants us to feel weary, lose focus, and fall back into old patterns instead of Christ's truth.
• 3:55
  That's why it is important to stay grounded in God's Word.
• 3:59
  His Word is powerful enough to equip us and help us overcome Satan's temptation.
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  In those moments when I faced the consequences of my past choices,
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  my wife Annie and I cling to the powerful words in Matthew 11, 28-30.
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  Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
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  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,
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  and you will find rest in your soul.
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  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
• 4:41
  Before we close, we want to invite you to engage with us and support the Couples
• 4:46
  Journey blog series podcast.
• 4:48
  By following this channel, leaving comments, and sharing episodes with your
• 4:52
  family and friends, you're helping us in our mission to transform marriages today.
• 4:58
  Your support encourages more couples to seek God's guidance and grow stronger together.
• 5:04
  Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we can make a difference.
• 5:09
  Here's the final part of today's episode.
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  As we conclude today's episode, Ray shared that true strength lies in humility
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  and seeking God's guidance, and not in our pride or independence.
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  By relying on Christ and listening to one another, We can overcome past mistakes and grow closer to him.
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  Stay tuned tomorrow as Annie will share her reflections on this week's series.