What Do I Do if My Spouse Is Hindering My Spiritual Growth? - Crosswalk Couples Devotional - October 14
What Do I Do if My Spouse Is Hindering My Spiritual Growth?
By: Vivian Bricker
“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:4-6)
For many Christian couples, one spouse desires to deepen their faith, while the other does not. They are both born-again Christians, yet for some reason, one of them is not interested in growing in their faith. There can be many reasons behind this, such as feeling far from God, being distracted by worldly things, or spending a long time away from the Bible. If your spouse isn’t pursuing spiritual growth but you are, it can create tension and feel like an obstacle to your own walk with God.
If this is happening to you right now, know that you are not alone. Many Christian wives and husbands have been in the same place before. They want to grow in their relationship with God, yet their spouse would rather spend their time doing other things. It is important to note that if you are finding yourself in this situation, it doesn’t mean that your spouse isn’t a true Christian.
It could be that they are in a spiritual rut. You can help them get out of this stagnant state by starting Bible studies with them, praying together, and praying for them. Even if your spouse might not be interested at first, they might grow to enjoy these different activities again. Yet again, it could just be that they have fallen into a spiritual dry season.
On the other hand, your spouse might be having major questions about Christianity in general. Maybe they are doubting the Trinity, the validity of the Bible, or certain biblical teachings. If this is true, try to walk alongside them and help point them to the truth. Bring up Bible passages, books written by biblical scholars, and help from the church to bring your spouse back to the Lord. This sudden distrust of God could be an attack from the enemy or a trial.
Trust God with the circumstance and allow Him to guide you. It might feel hopeless right now, but remember that your spouse is the same person they have always been. The kind, loving person you married is still there. Sure, they are experiencing some spiritual difficulties, but with proper support, guidance, and biblical teaching, they will be able to get back on the right path again.
The Apostle Paul says, “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:4-6). Within this passage, Paul tells the Philippians that God will bring to completion His good work that He began in them.
What this means in conjunction with what we are discussing today is that God will continue to cultivate our spiritual growth even if our spouse may be hindering us. Our spiritual growth is not determined by the spiritual growth of those around us. It is dependent upon God, His work in our lives, and our own dedication to Him. This tells us that our spiritual growth can still flourish and grow despite what we are facing in our lives because God will bring to completion the good work He began in our lives.
However, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t encourage our spouse to return to God and work on spiritual growth because we should. It might take some time for them to return to the Lord, yet it will be more than worth it. With time, you might even discover that your spouse will no longer hinder your spiritual growth, but rather cultivate your spiritual growth. Go to God in prayer today and give the situation over to Him. God is our loving Father, who can bring light out of darkness (2 Corinthians 4:6). Although things may feel bleak right now, radiant light is coming (Psalm 30:5).
“Dear God, my spouse has been hindering my spiritual growth lately. They don’t want to be involved with anything related to Bible reading, prayer, or going to church. Please help them to find their way back to You. Please also help me to be a source of support and encouragement, pointing them back to You. Amen.”
Related Resource: 3 Simple Ways to Feed Your Spouse More Praise
How often do you intentionally stop to praise your spouse? To recognize and affirm their character or actions? Many of us probably cringe at answering these questions because we know we could do better! If you struggle to feed your spouse praise regularly, this episode is for you. Listen in as we share some practical steps we all can take to criticize less and affirm and build up our spouse more. If this episode helps your marriage, be sure to subscribe to Team Us on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode.
