“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” — John 13:34
The Lord desires for us to have a sanctifying marriage. A marriage that is continually growing in love, fellowship, patience, and holiness. And as many of us have experienced time and time again, sometimes these things can be really hard to accomplish! But, the good news is that we aren’t alone in this. The Bible says that God is at work in our lives, growing us to become more like Jesus everyday (Philippians 1:6). This means that as husbands and wives, when our lives are focused on Jesus and one another, the Lord is at work, and our marriages will flourish.
As I have been meditating on how the Lord has loved us, I’ve put together a few simple ways that we can demonstrate the same kind of love toward our own spouse.
- Love your spouse HOPEFULLY “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” — 1 Corinthians 13:7
See your spouse the way Jesus sees them. He bears with them through the thick and thin. He doesn’t look down at them with all their blemishes; He looks at His son/daughter with enduring hope! Because of the work Jesus has done for them on the Cross (and continues to do for them in their lives), we should believe in our spouses and love them hopefully.
- PURSUE your spouse “Keep loving one another fervently.” — 1 Peter 4:8
That means love one another enthusiastically and passionately! One sure-fire way to make your spouse feel loved is to pursue them. In Luke 15 we read about a Shepherd who leaves his 99 sheep to pursue the one. That’s a passionate and intense kind of love!
How do you pursue your spouse? May I suggest: Make plans to date your spouse, and then do that regularly. Give them your full attention when they walk into a room. Make them feel like there is nothing on T.V. more interesting than them. (Brothers, I’m talking to you). Pursue your husband/wife like you would a golden ticket that gains you access to the chocolate factory! God will be glorified when you pursue your spouse in a way that mimics the way He has pursued them.
- Love your spouse RELENTLESSLY “I am with you always.” — Matthew 28:20
When Jesus gave the Great Commission, He declared at that moment, that no matter what this life may bring, He is not going anywhere. Love your spouse like that!
It’s a relentless type of love that says “I will never give up on you, and I will never abandon you.” Find opportunities to regularly reassure your spouse that you are in it for the long haul. That for better or for worse, you love them relentlessly, and you aren’t going anywhere.
When we love our spouse Hopefully, pursue them Diligently, and love them Relentlessly, God is going to be glorified, you will be blessed, your spouse is going to be edified and your marriage is going to be sanctified.
Love one another,
Posted in A Word from the Pastor