Solving Problems He says: “Where are our daughters?” She says: “They are at the shopping mall buying some new clothes.” He says: [Annoyed and with a raised voice] “What do you mean ‘buying new clothes’? They bought new outfits just last month!” She says: [Defensively, feeling hurt and accused] “But there was a sale. Anyhow, they asked me first, and I said they could go.” He says: [Losing his temper and shouting] “You know I hate it when our girls spend money without consulting me! How could you make such a rash decision without talking to me?” WHAT problems do you think the couple quoted above need to resolve? The husband obviously has trouble controlling his anger. Besides that, though, the couple appear to disagree about how much freedom their children should have. And there seems to be a breakdown in communication. No marriage is perfect. All couples will encounter problems of some kind. Whether the issues are large or small, it is imperative that a husband and wife learn to resolve them. Why? Over time, unresolved problems may become barricades that block communication. “There are contentions that are like the bar of a dwelling tower,” observed wise King Solomon. (Proverbs 18:19) How can you open the door to more effective communication when dealing with problems? If communication is the lifeblood of a marriage, then love and respect are the heart and lungs of the relationship. (Ephesians 5:33) When it comes to solving problems, love will motivate a couple to overlook past failures—and the resulting emotional injuries—and focus on the issue at hand. (1 Corinthians 13:4, 5; 1 Peter 4:8) Couples who show respect allow each other to talk freely and endeavor to hear what is meant, not just what is said.
Posted on: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 20:03:20 +0000
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