BookClub- The Love Dare by Alex and Stephen Kendrick Day 5

Dear BookClub reader, welcome to day 5 of this book 'THE LOVE DARE'. The Love Dare is a non-fiction marriage-related book written by Alex and Stephen Kendrick. It is a 40-day Christian devotional designed to strengthen marriages. Click to view day 1, 2, 3 ,4

For this book reading, each day will contain three very important element;

First, a unique aspect of love will be discussed.

Second, you will be given a specific dare to do for your spouse.

Last, you will need a journal to log what you are learning and doing and how your spouse is responding by answering the 'question of the day'. These note will record your progress and should become priceless to you in the future.

The entire book will not be published but every chapter will be previewed and I strongly recommend that you get a hard copy for future references.

Ensure that you do not miss any part of this book reading. Enjoy!


DAY 4: Love is not Rude

He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be reckoned a curse to him. —Proverbs 27:14

Nothing irritates others as quickly as being rude. Rudeness is unnecessarily saying or doing things that are unpleasant for another person to be around. No one enjoys being around a rude person. Rude behavior may seem insignificant to the person doing it, but it's unpleasant to those on the receiving end.

The bottom line is genuine love minds its manners.Embracing this one concept could add some fresh air to your marriage. People who practice good etiquette tend to raise the respect level of the environment around them. If you don't let love motivate you to make needed changes in your behavior, the quality of your marriage relationship will suffer for it.

There are two main reasons why people are rude: ignorance and selfishness.Neither, of course, is a good thing. You may not realize how unpleasant you can be to live with.

Test yourself with these questions:

• How does your spouse feel about the way you speak and act around them?
• How does your behavior affect your mate's sense of worth and self-esteem?
• Would your husband or wife say you're a blessing or that you're condescending and embarrassing?

If you're thinking that your spouse-not you- is the one who needs work in this area, you're likely suffering from a bad case of ignorance, with a secondary condition of selfishness.Remember, love is not rude but lifts you up to a higher standard.

Do you wish your spouse would quit doing the things that bother you? Then it's time to stop doing the things that bother them. Will you be thoughtful and loving enough to discover and avoid the behavior that causes life to be unpleasant for your mate? Will you dare to be delightful?

Here are three guiding principles when it comes to practicing etiquette in your marriage:

1. Guide the Golden Rule. Treat your mate the same way you want to be treated (Luke 6:31).
2. No double standards. Be as considerate to your spouse as you are to strangers and coworkers.
3. Honor requests. Consider what your husband or wife already asked you to do or not do. If in doubt, then ask.

TODAY’S DARE

Ask your spouse to tell you three things that cause him or her to be uncomfortable or irritated with you. You must do so without attacking them or justifying your behavior. This is from their perspective only.

QUESTION OF THE DAY

What thing did your spouse point out about you that need your attention? How did you handle hearing it? What do you plan to do to improve these areas?

Read also: BookClub- How You can Be Led by the Spirit of God- Kenneth E Hagins