These daily marriage devotionals are compiled from verses that we have shared with Christian couples in many counseling sessions over many years. Please read one per day and meditate on how it applies to your marriage. (Note: if you are not certain you are a Christian, please read The Sinner’s Prayer)
“Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. (Matthew 7:1)
Based on Matthew 7:1-4, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘;Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?”
In marriage, it is easy to judge and criticize our spouse, especially when they make mistakes or do things differently from us. However, Jesus reminds us in Matthew 7:1-4 of the dangers of hypocritical judgment and the importance of examining our own flaws and weaknesses before judging others.
Here are 5 practical ways to avoid hypocritical judgment in your marriage:
Focus on your own shortcomings. Take time to reflect on your own flaws and weaknesses and work to improve yourself before judging others.
Communicate openly and respectfully. Instead of criticizing or judging your spouse, communicate openly and respectfully to resolve any issues or concerns.
Practice forgiveness. Forgive your spouse when they make mistakes and extend grace to them just as God extends grace to us.
Show empathy and understanding. Put yourself in your spouse’s shoes and try to understand their perspective, rather than immediately judging them.
Seek God’s wisdom and guidance. Pray for wisdom and guidance in your marriage and ask God to help you avoid hypocritical judgment and extend love and grace to your spouse.
In the Greek, the word for “judge” in Matthew 7:1-4 is “krino,” which means to judge, to condemn, or to decide. In marriage, we should avoid this kind of hypocritical judgment and instead, focus on our own shortcomings and extend grace to our spouse.
Examples of avoiding hypocritical judgment in the Bible can be seen in the actions of Jesus, who always extended grace and forgiveness to those who sinned, and in the actions of the apostle Paul, who wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:5 that love “does not judge” others.
Let us strive to follow these biblical examples in our marriages by avoiding hypocritical judgment and extending grace and love to our spouse. With God’s help, we can build a strong and loving relationship based on forgiveness, empathy, and understanding.
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If you miss one, two, or many days, don’t worry about it and don’t try to catch up. Just start where you are and keep going. We have found the Holy Spirit can prompt you to return to just the passage you need for today.
This is an ongoing labor of love because these marriage devotionals will never be finished, but we have to start somewhere, so we will update often. We appreciate your support and prayers because this is a work of God not us. And please forgive us because we have never found a verse that doesn’t apply to marriage somehow.
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. (Proverbs 30:5)
Going beyond marriage devotionals
- Leave and cleave – God gave husbands instruction to leave and cleave because they need to break ties with their birth-families to forge their marriages
- The perspective of a successful marriage – If this perspective can lead to an incredible Olympic victory, imagine what it can do for your marriage. It’s almost a miracle!
- Biblical relationship checkup – This Biblical relationship checkup helps couples find where they are on God’s map of a successful marriage and find direction for improvement
- Help for hurting marriages – When I am weak, then I am strong. Help for hurting marriages is found in the wisdom of these Bible scriptures. Apply them as often as needed.
- Tying the Knot: A Premarital Guide to a Strong and Lasting Marriage by Rob Green – Field-tested and recommended by multiple counselors in a thriving counseling practice, Tying the Knot has already guided many couples into a stronger and more joyful union. Let this nine-week pre-marriage study reorient your life and marriage around Christ, so you both will experience all the blessings of marriage as God designed it.
- Love Life for Every Married Couple: How to Fall in Love, Stay in Love, Rekindle Your Love by Ed Wheat – This is a favorite classic book because it has stood the test of time. Physician Ed Wheat has helped thousands of couples improve their love lives and build happier marriages. In Love Life for Every Married Couple, he’ll help you improve your marriage through sharing, touching, appreciating, and focusing healing attention on your mate.