DAY SIX

LOVE IS NOT IRRITABLE
He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city~Proverbs 16:12

To be irritable means to be near the point of a knife.

As humans we have the tendency to over indulge in everything. In both good an not so good things we spend our time, energy and money. We spend hours working on projects that create stress and take our focus away from our home. Sometimes we eat poorly, drink or smoke and that too causes irritability. We are after all human, and therefor we are prone to excess.

We need to set up space in our lives for calm and happy activity that blesses our home and family. What are your priorities? How do you put your family first?
What are some things that may cause us to be irritable?
Stress~ It weakens your health, resolve and energy.It can be brought on by many things; arguing, division, bitterness, overworking, overplaying,and overspending as well as poor nutrition, lack of exercise and poor rest.
Selfishness~When you are irritable the heart of the problem is a problem of the heart. your mouth speaks from your heart according to Jesus.when you are under pressure what do you exude? lemon juice or sweet nectar? The choice is entirely ours. being angered easily is a sign of selfishness and insecurity.
Lust~ the result of being ungrateful for what you have. When you feel this way you will become easily frustrated with your spouse because they cannot seem to meet the expectations in your mind. It need not be an actual person, simply an idea of what would be "perfect" can lead you in the wrong direction.
Bitterness~ by responding in a judgemental way and refusing to work through anger
Greed~ unfulfilled desires with frustrate you. Strong cravings will make you quick to anger
Pride~ leads you to act in order to protect your ego
These motivations cannot be satisfied. Love will lead you to forgive, be grateful,and be happy. It sets up your heart to respond with love and understanding rather than with anger and exasperation

Today's Dare
Choose today to react to tough circumstances in your marriage in loving ways instead of with irritation. Begin by making a list of areas where you need to add margin to your schedule. then List any wrong motivations that you need to release from your life.