Week 213: Marriages and a Disruptive Friend

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Please join us this week in praying for marriages being negatively affected by a disruptive friend.  Just like spouses bring their families into their marriages, they also bring their friends.  This reality is normal and healthy.  Marriage should not signal the end of pre-existing friendships; nevertheless, there are instances when a friend, either of the husband, the wife or both, does not honor the marriage relationship and becomes an instrument of division instead of a mainstay of support.

The nature of a friend’s disruptive behavior can vary widely.  A couple may be faced with a friend who does not respect their time and privacy.  A couple may also need to deal with a friend who does not understand marriage generally affects how his or her married friend must manage money.  Martial stress can arise if one spouse makes unwise spending decisions in order to meet a friend’s expectations (golf every week, trips, shopping sprees).

Married couples can also be faced with frequent and unsolicited advice of a friend who does not appreciate proper boundaries.  Such advice can be particularly disruptive if a cherished friend provides ungodly and divisive advice when the couple is working through a challenging relational problem.

Pray that couples dealing with a disruptive friend will
  • Cherish their friendships; they are a blessing from God
  • Be forthright with their friends about new boundaries and realities
  • Pray for friends who are overstepping their bounds
  • Be able to discern between wise and unwise advice
  • Be honest and open with their spouse about friends they are finding to be disruptive
  • Recognize when they are vulnerable to the advice of a friend who is all too ready to stand with them against their spouse but not so ready to stand with them for their marriage

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