The "E" z Way to Have Joy in Marriage

Am I on a huge projector?

Does this projector make me look fat?

Marriage is like twirling a baton, turning a handspring, or eating with chopsticks...it looks easy until you try it.

Philippians 2:2–5 NASB95

2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

1. Esteem Your Spouse (vs. 3)

Negative:

a. Selfishness - Not just thinking what can I get out this.

b. Empty conceit - excessive appreciation of one’s own worth or virtue [Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary]

Positive:

a. Lowliness -

b. Hold them up as having surpassing value.

2. Elevate Their Interests (v.4)

Negative:

a. Don’t look out for your own everything

Frustrated wife to husband: “Next Sunday we’ll change jobs. You get the children fed and dressed, and I’ll go out in the car and honk the horn for 10 minutes.”

Positive:

b. Look out for your spouse’s “everything”

Personal Stories:

meat scraps down the toilet