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DO PROTECT "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34 Loving one another is also about protecting one another. Unfortunately, protection is something we tend to assume more than we actually do. I remember a while ago we were working with a couple on precisely this point of protecting one another. They began by sharing about how good the wife felt one day when she was being verbally abused by a nasty store clerk on a recent shopping trip they took. Her husband stepped right in to protect her, putting the store clerk in her place. The wife said she felt great when her husband came to rescue her, and protect her from the big bad store clerk. She felt special. That was great since that would not have been the case in times gone by. But when they got in the car to leave, the husband started berating her for “letting that clerk speak to you that way.” Wow, what a mess up. He did great protecting his wife from the big bad store clerk, but then he stepped in to pick up where the store clerk left off. What a goof! Well, when we talked about it he realized what he had done and it became a real learning opportunity, and it helped them to grow to the next level of oneness and greater intimacy. They both admitted to being quick to protecting one another from outsiders only to hurt each other themselves! The one we have to protect each other from the most is often us! We need to protect each other from outside forces like extended family --and most importantly—from us! We need to know that our spouse is our best advocate, our best cheerleader. They won’t let anyone speak ill of us without coming to our rescue. Whether it’s family, friend or stranger we need to know we will be protected. And after protecting us from others, they won’t turn on us, themselves. Question for The Both of Us: Do I feel protected when I am with you? Do I believe you always speak well of me to others? Could it be that fear keeps you from protecting me as you should? Prayer For the Both of Us: Lord, help us to protect one another from strangers, from friends and from family. And Lord, help us to protect one another from us! |
© 2007 Marriage & Family Savers Ministries