Collaborating with the Lord

Collaboration. Co-laboring. In marriage, collaboration is important because husbands and wives need to work together.... to be on the same page.... be in harmony and unity...as a team. However, what couples so often forget to do,  is to allow God's Holy Spirit to be at the center of the equation instead. How it should happen, is couples seek God first, then begin to dialog together as to how they believe God is leading them. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."

We quite often run out ahead of God leaving the protective covering He has provided for us. Doing this frequently leads to our disillusionment with the mission we feel He has placed within our hearts. Running ahead of God can be mistaken for running with God. Yes, maybe God did give you a good idea, but did you let Him finish His thought or did you finish it for Him?

There is a great passage of scripture upon which we have meditated for years: Proverbs 16: 3 AMP - "Roll your works upon the Lord, commit and trust your way unto Him and He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will and so shall your plans be established and they shall succeed."

In your marriage, have you done what this scripture suggests? By allowing His thoughts to become our thoughts, we get the whole revelation of what God is trying to communicate to us. But it doesn't happen overnight! It takes time and careful meditation upon His word and listening for the Holy Spirit's wisdom regarding our situation.

Years ago we received a prophetic word regarding our ministry together for married couples. That we would be involved in instructing and guiding couples, leading them into God's will for their relationships. We received that word with gladness however it took many years for the fulfillment of that word. During those years God was at work in us causing our thoughts to become agreeable to His will. Now He has firmly established His plans in our hearts and we are fully engaged in doing His work.

Co-laboring is a "Third Cord" concept. We must train our minds to invite His Spirit into every aspect of our life; especially our thoughts. His ways are so much higher than ours that sometimes our minds get in the way of being able to grasp the significance of His thoughts. However, with time and careful attention to Him and His Word, we get the revelation He is communicating to us. The magnitude of His thoughts overwhelm our natural minds. As we invite the Spirit, His thoughts become our thoughts and we can see what was once hidden from us.

Here are some active steps to take to begin the co-laboring process:

• As a couple, come together in prayer seeking God's insight and wisdom. 
• Dialogue between yourselves as to what you're hearing from God.
• Spend time meditating on His Word as it relates to your situation. 
• Expect God to speak and receive confirmation from Him.
• Walk patiently in faith, thanking Him that His perfect plan will come to pass.