Barking Up the Wrong Tree

While getting out of bed one morning I was mentally wrestling with an issue related to married life. Married life is wonderful but the process of two people becoming one is not without its bumps and bruises. My male mind was trying to figure out what I needed to do to fix things. That’s when I realized I was chasing a squirrel and barking up all the wrong trees. 

It’s a relational journey, Holy Spirit whispered.

Yes. Of course. I knew this, and yet I didn’t. Answers are discovered by partnering with her, not fixing her or me or the marriage as if the marriage is something separate from us. Drawing near, sharing, being vulnerable—these are the paths leading to solutions. Issues arising in the marriage covenant are resolved by the marriage covenant. 

It’s the same with my relationship with God. The struggles that arise because of my relationship with him are resolved by my relationship with him. Every solution grows out of deeper intimacy with him, not less. Conflicts, anxieties, obstacles, and all such things are overcome by partnering with him, not by striving on my own. It’s a relational journey. It’s not a journey to accomplish something or complete a work. It’s a journey to become one. Anything accomplished along the way is simply the fruit that falls from my tree.