A marriage bound together by commitments to exploit the other for filling one's own needs (and I fear that most marriages are built on such a basis) can legitimately be described as a "tic on a dog" relationship. Just as a hungry tic clamps on to a nourishing host in anticipation of a meal, so each partner unites with the other in the expectation of finding what his or her personal nature demands. The rather frustrating dilemma, of course, is that in such a marriage there are two tics and no dog!
Larry CrabbI hear Jesus telling us to stop negotiating with Him, to stop offering something we think we have in exchange for His blessings.
Larry CrabbThe degree to which we openly express our feelings should be governed, not by fear of reprisal, but by our commitment to loving others.
Larry CrabbGodly people... nobly endure hard things. They know that their existence is meaningful and that they are destined for unlimited pleasure at the deepest level in heaven. Because they keenly feel that nothing now quite meets the standards of their longing souls, the quiet but deeply throbbing ache within them drives them not to compalint, but to anticipation and further yieldedness.
Larry CrabbIn order to meaningfully repent of the ways in which we violate love, we must recognize them. We wonโt recognize self-protective patterns of relating as sinful violations of love until we face the disappointment in our soul weโre determined never to experience again.
Larry CrabbWe cannot count on God to arrange what happens in our lives in ways that will make us feel good.We can, however, count on God to patiently remove all the obstacles to our enjoyment of Him. He is committed to our joy, and we can depend on Him to give us enough of a taste of that joy and enough hope that the best is still ahead to keep us going in spite of how much pain continues to plague our hearts.
Larry Crabb