The Law of the Flip Side

Think back to the time when you and your spouse were dating. If you think real hard, there was something that really set your husband or wife apart from everyone else on the planet. Take Tom and Mary. The thing that attracted Tom to Mary was her bubbly personality. It did not matter the situation, Mary was able to see God's hand in her life, and consequently, did not get depressed very often. For Tom it was quite a different story. Tom was perceived as the strong, silent type. He did not say too much while they were going together, but in Mary's mind that added to his mystique.

Now a few year have passed and those endearing qualities are starting to drive both Tom and Mary up the wall. There is a simple reason. Each positive trait a person has, also has a negative aspect. Tom appreciates Mary's bubbly personality, but wishes she would listen to him better. Tom, still the man of few words, tends to unknowingly frustrate Mary because when troubled, he works things out in his head - silently.

Now look in Genesis 12. God had just made a covenant with Abram. Then some time later Abram was in the midst of a famine. So, Abram being a responsible husband took his wife and household to Egypt. While he had a compliant nature in obeying the voice of God, the other side of a compliant nature is one who lacked assertiveness when needed. In fact, Abram's  fear put his own wife, Sarai, at risk since he was afraid and told his wife to tell everyone she was his sister. Eventually, the half-truth was found out, but it illustrates how as godly a man as Abram was, there were weaknesses linked to his strengths.

Some people go into marriage with the skewed idea of changing their spouse. A better idea is seek to fully understand your mate. Realizing the positive aspects definitely have a flip side saves a lot of grief. Understanding your mate goes a long way to paving the road to a happy marriage.