Quotes from Jimmy Evans

As you go on your vision retreat annually and surrender your marriage to God, you are taking a huge step to unify your marriage under His authority and with His provision. Unity comes because we aren't two stubborn people trying to impose our wills upon each other. We are two submitted people trying to find God's one will for our purpose together.

If you have a naturally dominant personality, you must be careful. If your spouse feels as though he or she is being pressured to see and do things your way, they aren't going to be totally open and honest.

Having a good marriage means you can process your anger and resolve it.

Women want their husbands to be the spiritual leaders of their homes and to pray with them.

You must cultivate emotional openness in your relationship in order to build this level of intimacy. Allow your spouse to share their feelings without judgment or rejection. Celebrate honesty, as long as it is done in love. And share your feelings every day.

In a functional relationship, there is a complaint counter where you can be honest without fear. It is just like going into a department store to complain about something you purchased. The best stores always offer their customers a pleasant experience if they need to complain or return something. This makes people feel safe in shopping there.

When we honor His laws of love, we live our married lives in peace and safety. When we don't, disappointment and failure are sure to result.

Once you become a follower of Christ, your life isn't about you anymore; it's about Jesus. When you realize this truth, you will spend much less time trying to make sure others think well of you. Your first thought will be, I need Jesus, so I am going to praise and worship Him as my first act of the day. It won't be, How do I promote myself? No, it will be, How can I glorify Jesus and lift Him up so that others will see Him? I will only be visible in the background.

the only way you can defeat a spirit is with the opposite spirit.

As soon as I humbled myself and submitted to the Lord, He exposed the lies the Devil had told me and evaporated them in the light of His truth. Through my bitterness and unresolved anger, I had allowed the Devil to show me my wife through his evil eyes.

If you are a child of divorce, I would encourage you to buy and read The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce. It will help you understand your feelings and begin to deal with anger and conflict in a healthier manner.

However, that's not where heaven is now. Ephesians 4:8 says when Jesus ascended, "He led captivity captive." He both descended and ascended. He emptied Abraham's bosom, taking everyone with Him up to the third heaven, where believers who die go now. The first heaven is our atmosphere around us right now. The second is what we call outer space. And the third heaven is the presence of God.

don't let human technology distract you from God's superiority.

There are three things you can do to help you establish and adhere to correct priorities: List the most important priorities in your life in order of importance Prove those priorities in real ways Prepare to protect those priorities for the rest of your life.

Most lists of priorities should look something like this: God—seeking and serving Him personally Spouse Children (if you have any) Church—seeking and serving God together with fellow believers Extended family and special friends Work and career Hobbies and other interests

You must solicit the advice of your spouse and never use the strength of your personality to intimidate them, pressure them, manipulate them, dominate them, or in any way mitigate their role in the relationship. Use your strong personality to encourage your spouse and help them be more confident. You will be amazed at what will happen when you allow and encourage your spouse to co-lead with you.

The answer for the iniquity of dominance is to repent of it, forgive your family for their part in it, and to submit this area of your life to Jesus. We grow up bent because someone was in disobedience to the right or "straight" way. Once we submit the bent area of our lives to God and His word, He will teach us the right way, and we will be changed.

When you are operating under the influence of an inner vow, you are unteachable and unapproachable. You think you are the genius in a world of stooges.

In Psalm 90, Moses wrote: The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years (v.

Watching the world try to defy God's authority is like watching a group of two-year olds plotting to take over the house.

It is what we all want in love and life. We are looking for someone to share the rest of our lives with who truly loves us and will be attentive to our needs and desires. And so, having won each other over in the early phases of our relationship, we head into marriage with all of our hopes and dreams intact.

I told him to plan as though Jesus is not returning for a hundred years and live as though Jesus is returning today.

How could something that began so incredibly well be so bad now? The answer: We stopped doing what made the relationship so good in the beginning. It is that simple.

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. (1 Samuel 15:23a NKJV)