Have you ever been to a wedding where 1 Corinthians 13 was not quoted? Every wedding I’ve attended the preacher or someone giving a toast quoted this scripture with a smile on their face and a desire to see love win for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death. For this love to win, couples must choose to endure all things. Choosing to love with a never-ending persistence can be hard, so keep these three truths in mind.
Love, even when it’s not fair or you don’t feel it. There may be times when your commitment is tested. To everything, there is a season and right now you might need to persevere and choose love. Possibly the greatest example in scripture of love enduring all things is found in the story of Hosea and Gomer where Hosea commits to love, even when it’s not fair. Hosea 3:1 says, “Then the LORD said to me, ’Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the LORD still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.’”
How can you prepare yourself now to make the choice to love even when you don’t feel like it?
Love, even when the other person has wronged you. To remain in love with a flawed individual requires true forgiveness. You can not keep a record of the wrongs committed against you, and you must abide when you want to flee. Colossians 3:13 challenges us to “make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”
Are you holding on to an offense? Offer your spouse forgiveness.
Love, even when it’s hard. Love doesn’t quit or give up when it’s difficult. There is a persistence in love that chooses the person even at their worst. God’s example of this perfect love can be found in Romans 5:8-9 where Paul writes, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.”
We love each other because he loved us first. – 1 John 4:19
How can you love more like Jesus this week?
Let’s be like Jesus and love in such a way that endures all things. Let’s have the fortitude and courage to love through it all. Let’s resemble Jesus.