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Marital
Moments
The
topic
for
today's
Marital
Moments
will
be this
important
observation:
"Com-munication
Is
Confronted
With
Many
Enemies".
If
you
have
been
married
any
length
of
time
you
will
readily
recognize
these
enemies
in
your
own
life.
The book
of James
chapter
three
will
continue
to be
the
focus of
these
lessons
on com-munication.
Notice
the many
enemies
that
confront
and
sadly
many
times
control
the
communication
process. James
3:5
introduces
us to
the
first
enemy.
There
the
Bible
states
that,
"The
tongue
is a
little
member,
and
boasteth
great
things".
Notice
the
word "boasteth".
The
tongue
is
selfish
and
egotistical.
A
great
enemy to
com-munication
is the
selfishness
of the
one
speaking.
Too
often
the one
speaking
wants
his/her
own
way.
They
don't
want
anyone,
especially
their
spouse,
to
oppose
their
words or
their
arguments.
They
don't
want to
be told
that
they
are
simply
wrong.
They
"selfishly"
want to
express
their
points
and
views
with
neither
discussion
nor
rejection
coming
from
their
spouse.
The
second
great
enemy
that
confronts
com-munication
is found
in James
3:6,
"The
tongue
is...a
world of
iniquity".
The
tongue
is
sinful.
The
communication
moment
is
confronted
by one's
sinfulness.
After
Adam and
Eve
chose to
disobey
God and
sin in
the
Garden
of Eden,
man has
experienced
the
awful
tragedy
of sin.
Each
human
posses
a sin
nature.
Humans
are
sinners
by
birth,
choice,
and
practice.
Being
married
does not
do away
with
this
bent
toward
sin and
sinful
things. Each
partner
is
marred
and
scarred
by sin
and this
greatly
hind-ers
communication.
Unconfessed
and
unforsaken
sin
can
wreak
havoc
on
the
home.
Sin
breeds
shame,
guilt,
lies,
and
cover-ups.
Sin
causes
fear,
timidity,
hurts
and
disappointments.
Sin
creates
distance
between
couples.
Sin
brings
bitterness,
anger,
resentment,
and
ill
will.
Nothing
good can
be said
about
sin.
It
destroys
communication.
It
breaks
up
families.
It
scatters
loved
ones.
The
third
enemy of
communication
is found
in James
3:7,
"For
every
kind of
beasts,
and of
birds,
and of
serpents,
and of
things
in the
sea,
is tamed
and hath
been
tamed
of
mankind,
but the
tongue
can no
man
tame".
The
tongue
is
undisciplined.
Man can
control
other
things
in life,
but he
fails to
discipline
himself
long
enough
to bring
the
tongue
under
control.
He fails
to guard
carefully
and
completely
the
things
that are
said.
He fails
to keep
a watch
over his
tongue
so that
he
doesn't
say the
wrong
things.
Not only
do
we fail
to
discipline
the
tongue
in
communication,
but we
fail to
discipline
the
speaking
opportunities
that
we
encounter.
We
do
not
discipline
ourselves
long
enough
to turn
off the
TV,
to stop
the
music,
to lay
down the
book or
magazine,
or to
interrupt
our busy
schedule
to
communicate
sincerely
with our
mates.
We
simply
are
undisciplined.
James
3:6
gives
us our
fourth
and
final
enemy
that
confronts
communication.
There
the
Bible
says
that,
"The
tongue...is
set on
fire of
hell".
The
tongue
is
energized
by
Satan.
Satan
does not
want the
family
to
prosper
and be
in
harmony.
He wants
the
married couple
to
engage
in
arguments,
disruptions,
fight-ing's,
and
separations.
The less
we
communicate
the more
he likes
it.
He is
the one
that is
ultimately
behind
the
harsh,
hurtful
words.
He
delights
in
critical,
biting
words.
He is
happy when
we
engage
in angry
and
hurtful
communication.
He likes
bitterness,
division,
pouting,
grudges,
unforgiveness,
and
unbearable
silence.
These
enemies
seek
to
destroy
and
to
disrupt
the
home.
Let's
declare
war
on
these
enemies.
Let's
determine
in our
hearts
that we
will not
allow
these
terrible
enemies
to
defeat
our
marriage.
Remember
that,
"Communication
Is
Confronted
With
Many
Enemies".
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