Poisonous Footprints

Back in 1978 lead based household paint was banned in the U.S. after doctors discovered just why children, especially under age 6, were having kidney problems, nervous system damage, stunted growth and delayed development.  It didn’t take much of the paint to get in their little system.   Merely touching it, then putting their little fingers in their mouth was plenty.  Although many toddlers would actually eat the paint chippings due to the sweet taste of the lead in the paint.

What a scary thought as a parent, to unknowingly line your child’s room with poison.   Thank the good Lord they figured that one out.  I mean as parents we do our best to keep poison AWAY from our little ones.  No matter which poison it may be, it still doesn’t take much to make someone sick.  Did you know that rat poison is 99% good wholesome food but it’s the 1% that will kill you over time? 

But it’s not just our homes that we should watch out for poisonous items.  Our marriage needs to be clear of poisons too.  Not just for you and your husband’s sake but like all other poisons, to protect your children too.  If we’re not careful, we can leave behind poisonous footprints for them to follow.  Get rid of them while you can.  Make sure not even 1% is there because like the poisonous lead based paint it will stunt the growth of our love for each other.  Then over time, may kill a marriage.  Slowly but surely!

So what is this poison to a marriage?    It is poisonous thoughts/attitudes such as…

I’m always right!

How many times have you heard or seen this joke?  “She married Mr. Right but he married Mrs. ALWAYS right!”   Thumbs in ears, waving fingers and dancing a jig while singing “nanny-nanny boo-boo, I’m right woo-hoo”…all come to mind with this attitude.   Even if we are always right, making our husband miserable in the process is very wrong. 

1 Corinthians 13:5 

⁵ does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,

    

It’s not MY fault!

Holding a grudge and refusing to speak to your husband again until he comes to you is very childish and stubborn.  I know, I wrote the book on that one!  Thanks to my grandmother who was very stubborn as well and could hold a grudge until the cows came home.  (Which also makes my earlier point!) 

1 Corinthians 13:11 

¹¹ When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.

Why should I apologize!

Sometimes we are truly in the right but that doesn’t mean we can’t say we’re sorry if we’ve hurt our husbands’ feelings.  Sorry that the fight was worse than it should have been.  Sorry for the rude things we said to make our point.  Sorry that we had a horrible attitude at that moment refusing to show reverence to our husband as head of the house. 

Ephesians 5:24 

²⁴ But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

I know what he’s thinking!

Even if you do know your husband pretty well and can sometimes guess what he’s thinking… doesn’t mean you always do.  Like the time, when my husband asked if a shirt was clean.  I interpreted the question as… “Why aren’t all of my clothes clean, you’re such a terrible housewife?”  In no way should I have ever thought that.  Of course my husband wasn’t thinking that but it was poison that Satan was ever so happy to let me have because it made me angry.  Unfortunately for many years I would try to guess what he was thinking rather than just ask him.  

1 John 3:20 

²⁰ in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.

These thoughts/attitudes can have a long term effect because it’s not just our marriage but ultimately our children’s in how they eventually relate with their spouse.  So don’t waste another second…

Get the lead out!