Learning from Differences

Our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 1 Corinthians 12:18-21

Have you ever thanked God that you and your spouse are very different? Most of the time, we see our differences as irritations. Nathan is by nature a couch potato. His wife, Ashley, is always doing something. In the past, she viewed Nathan as lazy; he viewed her as so nervous she couldn’t relax. They often had words over this difference, but most of the time they simply lived with a low-grade resentment toward each other.

Once they discovered that differences were meant to be a blessing and not a curse, they each thanked God for the other. The next step was to ask, “What can we learn from each other?” Ashley learned how to relax and watch a TV show without jumping up to do something else at the same time. Nathan learned to help with the housework so Ashley could have time to relax and not feel guilty. Together they enriched each other’s life.

That is what marriage is all about. We are trying to learn how to make the best of our differences. Again, the Bible is clear that the body of Christ benefits from many different people working together. In the church as well as in marriage, we need each other. We can’t function without diversity, and that knowledge should lead us to thank God for the differences. Once you’ve done that, ask him to show each of you what you can learn from the other. You may be surprised at God’s answer.

PRAYER
Father, please give me the humility to realize that I can learn from my spouse. Help me to look at our differences as opportunities to grow, not as frustrations. Thank you for making us so different, yet preparing us to fit together perfectly.