He walked away in frustration, choosing silence rather than speaking from anger. I knew I hurt him with my words, but they just came pouring out of my mouth. I was hurting, and I wanted to be sure he knew that.
Unfortunately, lashing out at him did not help me feel better. As I watched his shoulders slump, I longed to take back my words. How could I have been so mean?
The root of the problem was not the words that I said. It started before that with some wayward thoughts. I allowed them to run rampant and they built up and overflowed in the form of some very hurtful words.
II Corinthians 10:5 reminds us that we have control over our thoughts. We have the power to stop those thoughts that should not take root in our hearts.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
I should have paused; I should not have let my feelings boil over. I should have exercised some self-control before I decided to speak. Unfortunately, I didn’t do that and the results of my words were pretty damaging.
God used this exchange to speak to my heart about taking my thoughts captive.
3 Reasons to Take Your Thoughts Captive in Your Marriage
3 Reasons to Take Your Thoughts Captive in Your Marriage... Click To TweetThere are many reasons to take your thoughts captive.
I’m sharing 3 of those reasons over at Fulfilling Your Vows. Come on over and read the post. Then take a look around the site; it’s an excellent resource for your marriage!
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Just a reminder that Hope for the Hurting Wife is coming soon! Jen and I look forward to sharing this book with you! Be sure you’re subscribed to the email list (sign up at the very bottom of this post) to be notified as soon as the book is ready!
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Sharing with Holley Gerth at #CoffeeForYourHeart, with Jennifer Dukes Lee at #TellHisStory, Jaime Wiebel at #SittingAmongFriends, with Crystal Storms at #HeartEncouragement, with Alisa Nicaud at Salt & Light, with Arabah Joy at Grace & Truth, with Kate at Teaching What Is Good, with Richella Parham at Imparting Grace, with Patricia Holbrook at Recharge Wednesday, with Suzie Eller at #livefreeThursday
Words can come out and devastate in seconds. Making up for them can take years, so getting them under control is so important. Wise words here!
Sarah recently posted…In the Meantime
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Man! My mouth causes 99% of the trouble in my home. This was good Rebekah!
Tiffany recently posted…Marriage Monday Week 9 [Loves Is Not Easily Provoked ]
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It’s the words but it’s the thoughts even more so. I used to help a ministry that worked in our local highschools and one thing we would tell the girls was that no one ever got a stomach ache from swallowing down the nasty words, but once they were out there it was dangerous.
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Isn’t it amazing how quickly thoughts twist and become daggers aimed at the one we love so much? So grateful when people share brave and remind us how to choose love!
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I agree completely. I’ve even started teaching my kids the importance of taming their thoughts. When they get away from us, they can wander into the dark places and lead down a path we never intended to go. They can take root and change our thinking towards our spouses that can have devastating consequences.
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Becky, I love this! Such a wise post and so important to our marriages. You’re my feature at Salt and Light tomorrow!
Shannon recently posted…A Fierce Love | An interview with Shauna Shanks + Giveaway!
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Rebekah Reply:
August 23rd, 2017 at 9:45 pm
Thank you, Shannon! What a blessing to be able to share what I’m learning in this season of marriage!
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We can learn so much from the experiences of others who vulnerably share their successes as well as their failures. Thanks for being that kind of friend.
Michele Morin recently posted…The Perfect Vacation for an Imperfect Family
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