The Power of ONE begins with our relationship with the Lord. The power to have successful relationships comes from Him into me and through me.
He promises to give me everything I need to live this life in a way that honors and glorifies Him.
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. (2 Peter 1:3)
To allow His Power to live through me, I give up my agenda, my thoughts on how best to live life. I seek Him and His way. I have confidence that what He wants for me is the very best of life.
- God’s love, I can love as He does (John 13:33).
- God’s forgiveness, I can forgive as He does (Ephesians 4:32).
- God’s acceptance, I can accept the way He does (Romans 15:7).
At our dinner, one young couple, who went through our premarital class last spring and married shortly after that, shared how they both came from families with divorced parents. But that they made a commitment to make their marriage be one that honors Christ and provides a legacy of a strong marriage instead of a legacy of divorce.
Never underestimate the power of one relationship or one class to set the course for a lifetime. If God can work through us in this couple’s life, He can work through and in you!
Power of ONE in Marriage .....
When you make the sacrifice in marriage, you're sacrificing not to each other but to unity in a relationship. Joseph Campbell
The unity in marriage is what we call “oneness.” God describes it as “one flesh” in Genesis 2:24. The unity of marriage is not uniformity. In fact it might better be described as diversity. We are two different genders, two personalities, two backgrounds, and two sets of giftedness and experience. Two drastically different people come together to become one.
Attitudes, words, behaviors, or actions can cause a husband and wife to be divided, instead of one. But we have seen in case after case that ONE person can change the atmosphere of a marriage. ONE person who focuses on the Lord and loves unconditionally in a marriage can bring about change. That person gives up their wants/desires for what God wants, for the sake of unity and oneness.
ONE husband or wife who will love even when feeling unloved or disrespected can bring healing and unity.
How? See the first section of this blog!
Power of ONE Financially .....
Do you ever think about how many times a day you throw away or waste ONE dollar?
While doing financial guidance, we usually have people keep track of all of the money they spend. They are usually amazed at where their money is going. Most people have some kind of “black hole.”
A Sonic drink during happy hour is one of our favorite treats and it is about a dollar. If we have one every day, that’s $30/month or $365/year.
Could you use $30 more a month or $365 more a year in your budget?
If that soda costs more than a dollar, the amounts multiply dramatically.
Maybe Sonic isn’t your black hole. What about the amount of food you throw out that is uneaten, either at home or a restaurant? Do you waste a dollar a day on food?
What about the Itunes music or ring tones for your phone? They are a dollar or maybe a little more. Are they a wise investment?
Maybe you don’t waste money on food or drink or splurge on music. But how many coats or shoes are in your closet? Most of us have more than we need.
Any DOLLAR spent today wastefully cannot be spent tomorrow on something you really need.
What would happen if you saved a dollar a day instead? If you start at age 22 and save a dollar a day until 65 (assuming a 6% interest rate over the long term), you would have $72,688.54 ($56,993.54 of the total is the interest). You would gain almost $57,000 without having to work for it …. for just a dollar a day.
Does a dollar really make a difference? Looks like it does. To reap the dividends we may have to give up a momentary pleasure. Or we may have to find a way to put that dollar into something that isn’t disposable (paper plates vs. real plates, handkerchief vs. tissues).
What would a dollar a day reap for eternity?
In our ministry, if everyone who received our letter, gave a dollar more a day, we would be fully funded and be able to expand our training and teaching.
In east Africa, where we minister, you could pay the salary of a pastor for a dollar a day.
And your church would love for you to increase giving by a dollar a day!
Power of ONE Word ....
Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another. Napoleon Hill
Marriage is the most intimate of all relationships. I can encourage or destroy my spouse with my words. Somehow I think I am “helping” him when I criticize or correct him.
But my spouse is looking to me to affirm the good in his life, not shoot down the things with which we don’t agree. If I don’t see and encourage the positive parts of his character and his behavior, who will? Isn’t that what each of us want to receive from our spouse?
A man finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word! Proverbs 15:23
