Encouraging Yourself in the Lord During Busy Seasons

When Marriage Requires Grace, Space, and Spiritual Strength

Life has a way of becoming very full. Right now, Bill and I are living with my daughter and helping care for our grandchildren. It’s a beautiful season… but also a busy one.

And if I’m being honest, I’ve noticed something lately.

I’ve been intentionally pouring so much time into my daughter, our family, and everything around me… that sometimes I unintentionally neglect giving time to Bill. Not because I don’t love him. But because life can quietly pull our attention in so many directions.

There are moments when I walk through the room and see Bill sitting alone reading his Bible. Quietly. Faithfully. Without complaint. And as I watched him recently, the Lord gently spoke something to my heart:

He is encouraging himself in the Lord.

One of the pillars in Pamper Your Marriage is Encourage Yourself in the Lord.

Because the reality is…

There will be seasons in marriage where your spouse cannot fully meet every emotional need you have. Not because they don’t care. But because life is heavy. Responsibilities are real. People need things from us. And in those moments, we have two choices:

We can grow resentful…Or we can grow rooted in God.

Watching Bill in this season has quietly ministered to me. He isn’t demanding attention. He isn’t keeping score. He isn’t becoming bitter. Instead, he opens his Bible. He sits with the Lord. He strengthens his spirit. And honestly?

That is incredibly attractive to me.

Because true spiritual maturity understands this:

👉 Your spouse is a blessing… but God is still your source.

Sometimes marriage doesn’t drift apart through conflict. Sometimes it drifts through distraction. Schedules. Children. Responsibilities. Ministry. Exhaustion.

You look up one day and realize:

“We’ve been surviving… but we haven’t been connecting.”

That’s why encouraging yourself in the Lord is so important.

Because when your heart stays full in Him, you are less likely to place impossible expectations on your spouse.

The Lord pampers His Church by being a constant source of comfort and strength.

He never asks us to survive empty.

He invites us to:

• abide in Him

• draw from His presence

• and find rest for our souls

When earthly relationships feel stretched by life’s demands, He gently reminds us:

“Come to Me first.”

Ask yourselves:

• Have we become distracted by the busyness of life?

• Am I expecting my spouse to carry what only God can fill?

• How can we intentionally reconnect in this season?

And maybe most importantly:

• Am I encouraging myself in the Lord… or waiting for someone else to sustain me?

Busy seasons do not have to destroy intimacy. But they do require intentionality. And sometimes the healthiest thing you can do for your marriage is this:

Open your Bible. Sit with the Lord. Let Him strengthen your heart.

Because when two people learn to draw from God personally, they bring something much healthier back into the marriage.

Your marriage doesn’t have to be perfect. It just needs to be pampered.

📖 Pamper Your Marriage is available in paperback and Kindle on Amazon, and our website🌐Learn more at www.PamperYourMarriage.org