INTRODUCTION
• Why do some couples seem so happy?
• Beware of outward appearances - they are deceiving.
• Happy couples work at it.
• They have made the tough decisions
I. WHY DO SOME COUPLES SEEM SO HAPPY?
• I Corinthians 13:4-7, “Love...always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
• All things - 4 times
• NASB - Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
• All deep relationships are built on expectations.
• And expectations will almost always get dashed.
• There is a gap between what we expect and what the person does.
• This is the reality of relationships.
• When there is a gap we put something in there.
• We either believe the best or we don’t.
• This will determine how you do in your relationships.
• What we put in the gap begins in minds and hearts and comes out of our mouths.
II. 2 KEY THINGS THAT FILL THE GAP
• What we see.
• Who we are.
• What we see determines how we think the thing through.
• Harder is who we are. We all bring baggage into the relationship.
• People who stay in love are blind!
• They learn to believe the best.
• They are generous to their partner.
• Happily married couples choose to assume the best.
• When you choose to go negative you have contributed to the demise of your relationship.
III. CREATING MARGIN IN RELATIONSHIP
• The last thing your partner wants to do is disappoint you.
• Asking them to perform higher isn’t the answer.
• Believing the best about them is.
• This creates margin.
• You express trust when you believe the best.
• Our hearts are drawn into environments of acceptance.
CLOSE
• Happy couples have decided to believe the best.
• Proverbs 24:16, “A righteous man falls seven times and rises again.” - Don’t Quit!