Whatever Happened to Love?

“But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!” (Galatians 5:15)

"Love Never Fails."

The Bible says so. (See 1 Corinthians 13:8). 

So why are so many "Christian" marriages failing today?  

Why are so many people acting like the angry couple pictured above—biting and devouring one another?

Whatever happened to dying to self? Whatever happened to preferring one another, putting your spouse's needs above your own? Whatever happened to the Love Chapter—1 Corinthians 13? Whatever happened to forgiveness? Whatever happened to Jesus' commandment; "Love one another as I have loved you."

Jesus said:

“By this everyone will know that you are My disciples—if you love one another.” (John 13:35)

Whatever happened to Love?

Over the past several years, and particularly over the last year or so, more and more people that we know, or have met, are treating each other with brutal unkindness in their marriages. The divorce epidemic among "Christians" continues to escalate. What a horrible 'witness' this is.

What must the "World" think of us?

We've known several people who fell into believing the sugar-coated, modern, false gospel that says, "Well, if we're just nice, and loving, and joyous, people will see that and just want what we have." 

I'm sorry to have to be the one to break the news to all the "Christian" married folks who are fighting, biting and devouring one another, divorcing each other like there's no tomorrow; but, trust me... absolutely no one "wants what you have."

What is it exactly that you "have" in your contentious, unloving marriage that you think other people would want?

Jesus said, "Love one another as I have loved you." 

Our Savior did not bite and devour the very people that He came to love and save. He gave Himself for us. He laid down His life so we could have life. He died to self. He loved us sacrificially, not thinking of His own needs, but our great need. He demonstrated what perfect love is by taking up His cross, and willingly dying to save us. Jesus gave us the perfect example of what Christ-like love truly is.

Then He said, "Go, and make disciples."

The world will know we are Jesus' disciples by our love for one another—particularly in how we who are married treat our spouses. But if you and your spouse are constantly warring against each other, biting and devouring, trying to consume one another, the world will see that you are just hypocrites, loveless impostors, religious phonies. 

And no one "wants what you have."

It's rare to walk into most Christian churches today and not hear a great sermon on loving people. The Word is full of commandments and exhortation to love one another. 

But the Bible also says, 

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22)

I'll leave it at that.

*See "The Marriage Creed"  http://marriage-miracles.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-marriage-creed.html 

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.