Job was a man of wealth. A man of power. He "had it all." But more than his wealth, he had an incredible relationship with God.
But Job lost it all. In the blink of an eye, he lost it all.
Job's wife lost is all too. She undoubtedly suffered intense heartbreak and pain right along side of her husband. In v. 2:9 she tells Job to "curse God and die."
In the midst of trials, do you stand up for your spouse or cave in under the pressure?
Do you stand up strong for your spouse, or do you become part of the process of tearing him/her down?
We need to be our spouse's biggest fan at all times!
Why is that so difficult? Why is it hard to be a positive force in your spouse's life?
Part of the reason is that we see our spouse up close and personal. We know them better than anyone. We know the "behind the scenes" experiences.
Maybe the trial was self-inflicted. Maybe we warned them and they didn't listen.
Before you get caught up in the details, take a step back and look at the situation from a higher perspective.
Could it be that God provided that trial for a purpose.
1 Peter 4:12 - Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing was happening to you.
So embrace the opportunity to grow your faith.
Look at it like Job did in v. 1:21-22:
And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.
So how can we be a fan of our spouse?
1. Encourage your spouse every day. Notes, email, text, whatever is available...
2. Communicate with your spouse every day. The key word is "LISTEN"
3. Speak highly of your spouse with others. Don't ever bad mouth your spouse in public.
What are some other ways we can encourage our spouse? Chime in...
