Saturday, March 2, 2013

PART FIVE - HOW TO SURVIVE A CRASH LANDING

(WARNING: YOU ARE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO LIKE WHAT I HAVE TO SAY. REMEMBER, YOU WERE WARNED.)

 "W. I. I. F. M." - "What's In It For Me?"
Sales people know the term "WIIFM".  They know that every potential customer only cares about how they will personally benefit from purchasing their product or service.  

For example, a car salesman will point out to a couple looking at a car that families who purchase this car have 93% less injuries when involved in an auto accident. He has now revealed a WIIFM sales point to the customer which is..... YOUR KIDS WILL BE SAFER IN THIS CAR.  The couple buys the car to protect their children.

You may be thinking, "Mrs. Older... what does a car salesman have to do with surviving a crash landing in my marriage?"  So glad you asked.   In every aspect of our lives we are always consciously or subconsciously asking ourselves:

"What's In It For Me (and my family) IF:

I take this job?  I buy this house?   I live in this neighborhood?  I vote for that candidate?  and a million other decisions we make on a regular basis.  Nothing wrong with that either. We make decisions based upon what's best for us and our family.  Unfortunately, though, this fact has affected us spiritually as well.  Many of us make spiritual decisions the same way:

"What's In It For Me (and my family) IF:

I become a Christian? I attend this church?  I get married to a Christian guy?   

Truth is.. what we get when we become followers of Jesus is....JESUS.  

The fact that this is NOT ENOUGH for many of us is the root reason so many of us become despondent when something is not perfect about our entitled evangelical lives.

The "WIIFM?" of The GOSPEL? 
We get Jesus
His peace.  His power. His victories.  And HIS eternal life won for us.  You have Jesus. With you. Near you. For you. By you. Teaching you. Loving you. Guiding you. Leading you. Defending you.  Strengthening you. Inspiring you. Interceding FOR you. Praying for you. Coming back for you.  Preparing a place for you. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. You get Jesus.

You will never, ever, ever, ever survive a crash landing husband, or a crash landing marriage if the fact that it cannot separate you from Jesus.... doesn't matter to you. 
 

I don't know what you thought you would get for becoming a Christian.. but what you got is Jesus. In all HIS glory.  

Mrs. Older has found that life can be deathly and disappointing. But the way to SURVIVE the way PEOPLE can CRUSH YOUR HEART is to be sure JESUS is the center of your heart. 
 
For today.. Jesus has to be the FOUNDATION OF YOUR LIFE... 
You have to have a foundation of being content with 
Jesus and you... without your husband.
Jesus and you.. without your kids..
Jesus and you.. without your church family.
Just Jesus and YOU.. has to be the foundation that you stand upon.
Rest upon.
Live upon. 
Then all the other stuff... all the other people... ADD to your life.. because Jesus IS your life. 

IF YOU WANT ME TO START OUT WITH SOMETHING OTHER THAN THIS to tell you how to survive a Crash Landing Husband.. I would be building on the wrong foundation.  Trust me. It's o.k. if you don't really get all warm and fuzzy about the fact not even a crash landing husband can separate you from Jesus
JUST ADMIT IT. To yourself. And to Jesus.

I sidetracked from what I SAID would be the next topic:  "Relax. You Are Not The Pilot".  Next time. I think.
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XO,
Mrs. Older    

1 comment:

  1. THE SIMPLICITY OF THE TRUTH EXPRESSED HERE HAS ME SHAKING MY HEAD WONDERING WHY ALL THE SERMONS I HEAR NEVER REMIND ME THAT BEING A CHRISTIAN MEANS HAVING CHRIST. I FOCUS ON THE HEARTBREAK THAT IS MY HUSBAND AND FORGET TO FOCUS ON THE JOY THAT IS MY SAVIOR. THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME

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