Steve Sikes Blog
Steve Sikes Blog
You know how it goes… without love she reacts without respect and without respect he reacts without love and without love she reacts without respect…! Dr. Emerson Eggerichs calls this the “CRAZY CYCLE” because it’s CRAZY!! Have you experienced it? Most of us (who are engaged or married) have at one time or another.
But Emerson, in his book LOVE & RESPECT, doesn’t leave us hanging! He goes on to discuss two other possible relationship/marriage cycles:
• ENERGIZING CYCLE: his love motivates her respect and her respect motivates his love!
• REWARDED CYCLE: his love regardless of her respect and her respect regardless of his love!
If you were able to just pick one of the above cycles, which one would you select? I don’t think there is a sane person anywhere who would willingly choose to live in the CRAZY CYCLE – yet many do! Why? We are basically selfish. We want what we want when and how we want it.
What does God (through Paul) have to say about LOVE & RESPECT? “Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.” Ephesians 5:33
In other words, God says, “JUST DO IT!” LOVE HER even when you don’t “feel like” loving her; RESPECT HIM even when you don’t “feel like” respecting him!
If you are looking for some excellent marriage enrichment, or wanting to be a “cycle breaker” or considering marriage in the future – you are encouraged to take part in our LOVE & RESPECT class beginning Wednesday night, March 17. God is good all the time. Mr. Steve