Putting confidence in an unreliable person in times of trouble is like chewing with a broken tooth or walking on a lame foot. Proverbs 25:19 (NLT) We live in an imperfect world, and the reality is that not everyone can be trusted. The trouble is that we often confuse love with trust. We’re taught to love unconditionally—no strings attached. We learn that everyone deserves acceptance; it’s not something people have to earn. But somehow we lump trust in with love and acceptance. We assume that we’re supposed to trust people unconditionally as well, but it’s not true. Trust should always be earned. If we rely on people who haven’t earned our trust, it’s going to cause us pain, much like chewing on a broken tooth …

I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Matthew 10:16 Seeing the best in people is a great characteristic but it can get you into a lot of trouble if you’re not careful. If you’ve ever pursued a relationship even when you sensed it was wrong for you, you know what I’m talking about. Instead of listening to the little voice inside telling you to be careful, you gave the person the benefit of the doubt and continued to allow them in…and later regretted it. I’m not saying that it’s bad to give people the benefit of the doubt. To form healthy relationships, we need to extend acceptance and forgiveness. I like to call …

Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10 I love that we devote a day to honour those who have sacrificed for our freedom. Although war is terrible and is to be avoided whenever possible, there are times when it’s necessary. And I believe it is absolutely vital to give honour where honour is due. The sacrifice that many incredibly brave and courageous men and women have made for our freedom is certainly deserving of honour. Because of their sacrifice, we can live our lives as we choose and are free to become whatever we want to become. We are free to worship and speak our opinions freely. We have so much to be grateful for! Let’s never take …

Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Hebrews 13:17 Do you ever wish you were more appreciated? I think we’d all love to be encouraged and valued more, which is all the more reason to make sure you’re giving out as much encouragement as you can. Often we forget that our leaders need this encouragement too. Because of the nature of leadership, leaders face a lot of criticism. The buck stops at them when things go wrong, and it can be tough. When is the last time you complimented your leader on something they were doing right? You may not agree with everything your leaders do, but you can …

Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Romans 12:11–13 (MSG) When you drive down an old mud road after a rain, you create deep ruts. Then when you pass that way again, your wheels keep slipping into the same old ruts. The same is true in life, especially for couples. It’s so easy to slip back into the same old ruts, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Some people assume that things get mundane in marriage because we weren’t designed to spend a lifetime with the same person. They think that variety is the spice of life, but when couples choose to keep growing and …