4 Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud;
5 love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable;
love does not keep a record of wrongs;
6 love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth.
7 Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail.
8 Love is eternal.
1 Corinthians 13
Today Dick and I celebrated 42 years of happily-ever-after. Ours truly is a fairy tale romance that has blossomed and grown with each passing year into a satisfying, nurturing relationship that brings us both more joy than we can hold. I would like to pass along a few of the truths that have attributed to our lasting marriage. May you find them useful.
Invite Christ
into your relationship. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “A cord of three strands is not quickly
broken.” When Christ, your spouse, and you form a bond, your marriage builds
from a strong foundation. As each of you grow closer to Jesus, you will also
grow closer to one another.
Reject in-law
interference. Genesis 2:24 points out that when a person marries, they leave father
and mother and are united with their spouse. When we marry we form a new family
and our commitment is now to that union. This is not to say don’t ever take
your parents advice. We are talking about unwanted, unsolicited, unhealthy
intrusion, meddling, and prying on the part of the parents.
Live within
your means. In
Romans 13:8 God advises us to “owe nothing to anyone--except for your
obligation to love one another.” Poorly managed finances cause incredible
stress on a marriage. While most everyone will have to pay on time for a house
or education, other debt can be minimalized by saving before spending. You may
find in the process that you didn’t really need that item.
Put your
spouse ahead of yourself. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility
value others above yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3) The world urges us to look
out for ourselves first; God says think of others first.
Communicate. James 1:19
says, “Everyone must be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to become
angry.” Many arguments
and harsh words can be avoided if we live out this verse. It is important to be
both honest and kind. Too often we jump to criticize but lag behind with praise. Ephesian
4:29 admonishes us: “Don't
use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so
that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” We all need
this on every level—in our jobs, in our Christian walk, in our parenting
journey. Everyone benefits from a few words of encouragement.
May
your marriages be built on Christ and your lives entwined with His in a cord
that cannot be broken.
Blessings!
Pam
