7 Day Relationship Challenge- 6
Here are just 7 of the top Christian principles I believe can help your marriage or dating relationship.
6. Value Diversity, Don’t Try to Turn Your Significant Other Into Your Own Image
Another sinful tendency humans have is to try to turn those they are in relationship with into their own image. When a husband and wife argue, sometimes one of them is right and the other is wrong. But most times the argument is simply an effort to turn the other person into their own image. We often think our personality type, our desires, and our personal preferences are “right.” Most church splits are not about a doctrinal issue.
Most church splits occur because of personal preferences and an unwillingness to see things from a different perspective. If you truly love someone, your hope for him or her should be that they look more and more like Christ (Romans 8:29), not like you. So if the argument is about whether or not something is sinful or not sinful, by all means, continue the debate. But if you are arguing over something that is actually morally neutral and there is not a clear, biblical doctrine to settle the dispute, than you should do your best to compromise because you are probably operating out of sinful desire to turn other people into your own image.
Christian relationship advice: Help your spouse or girlfriend/boyfriend express the image of Christ through their unique personhood. Don’t try to turn people into your own image, making doctrines out of your personal preferences.