Devils and Faith in Christ

The required readings for our class, “The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work,” by John M. Gottman, PH.D., and “Drawing Heaven Into Your Marriage,” by H. Wallace Goddard, PH. D., complement each other. But, when I began reading Gottman’s explanations about conflict in marriage, I started to feel like my marriage was not going to last. Because of his knowledge of eternal principles, Goddard keeps reminding me that I have so much help from loved ones and Heaven to steer my marriage boat upward and onward.

Goddard’s Chapter 3 was entitled, Faith in Jesus Christ, and it began with the Savior returning to his disciples who were having problems. A father had brought his son for them to cast out the devils in him, but the disciples could not make it happen. While they had the authority to do this, they lacked enough faith. So, the Savior asked the father if he had faith. I feel like that father when he said, “Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief.” Sometimes in my marriage I feel like my faith falls short like that of the disciples and father. That I should get more out of my husband, or that I seem to always fall short in trying to please him. Faith in my Savior reminds me that there is always help.

I seem to err on the side of caution. I use to always feel down on myself for not measuring up. The devil that Christ cast out of the boy’s body had been with him since he was a child, and it took faith to have it expelled. Not measuring up was this devil for me, and at times it affected our marriage. This was the same reason I was not able to finish the book, The Miracle of Forgiveness, the first time I read it. I knew from others that I should read it to the end, but I felt really weighed down by the explanations of sin, the examples of people in the book who were ignorant of their actions and the contriteness that was needed for forgiveness. This, I thought was me. And for that, when I was half way through, I did not feel worthy to read on. It was only after my marriage that I was able to finish it, and love the words in the book.

13 years into my marriage, we continue to hit against the rocks of disbelief and conflict, as we travel down the river of life, but thankfully, we can glide along on the ride because there is direction from the Savior through the Holy Ghost. Through the love and encouragement of my husband, and our faith in Christ, it is as if this type of devil has left my body. Of course I am reminded every now and then of it, but it is no longer part of who I am.