Love Never Fails

Photo (c)Mark Faulkner 2010

Love Never Fails.

For many people, sadly, that statement does not ring true. They 'fell out of love' with their spouse, or their spouse 'doesn't love them any more.'  But we err in this way of thinking when we define love as a feeling.

Love is a verb.  It expresses itself through action.   Feelings can ebb and flow like the tide. But true love never fails.

^"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Love is patient, love is kind. One of the saddest things that can happen in a marriage is after two people have been together for a few years, we tend to neglect to be courteous and kind to one another.  We take each other for granted.  For many, 'familiarity breeds contempt.' We resent our spouse because they fail to live up to our lofty expectations of them. We are not 'getting the love that we want.' This is because we are being completely selfish and self-focused.  We are being takers instead of givers.  When we first began courtship with our spouse we wanted to spend every possible moment with them.  We did and said the nicest things we could to please them.  We couldn't wait to be together.  When we were apart, thoughts of our significant other consumed our time. When we saw them again we had a romantic card or flowers for them.

Realizing that we are all a work in progress, we need to be patient with our spouse. One tends a rose garden patiently and nurtures, waters and cares for the precious flowers.  How much more should we nurture and care for our precious wife or husband! We should allow our spouse to be who they are without making them feel like they have to be forced to fit into the mold of our unrealistic expectations of them.

What may seem like small acts of kindness can have a huge impact on the recipient of our love.  Saying "I appreciate you and all that you do" will build up and edify your spouse. Serving your spouse a nice breakfast and coffee when they least expect it can work wonders for their sense of well being. You are demonstrating your love for them through actions of kindness.

Love is not self-seeking. Love seeks not it's own provision or fulfillment.  Love esteems the needs of the other person above our own needs. Love is long-suffering.  Love is not easily angered or provoked.  Love does not keep score of our spouses mistakes, nor do we delight in their mistakes.  Love does not say, "Ha!  I told you so!"

Love always protects the recipient of our love.  Love protects the honor and reputation of their mate when talking about their spouse with other people.  Love does not belittle their spouse in front of others to try to be humorous.  Love always trusts their spouse and thinks the best of them and does not focus on their spouses faults or short comings.

Love always has hope and perseveres through the difficult seasons of life.  When the tide of feelings ebb and flow, remember why you fell in love with your spouse in the first place, and realize that your mate is not defined by the imperfections of where they are in the process at any given moment, but ultimately on who they were created to be eternally.

My wife is truly a gift from God.  My world would be a dark and lonely place if she were gone.  I thank God for her each and every day, and I demonstrate my love to her through actions of kindness, patience, service, understanding, listening and with words of affirmation.  And like the precious garden of delight that she is to me, as I unselfishly tend to her needs, and nurture and water her heart with actions of love, she blooms and grows more and more into the flower of true beauty that God has made her to be.

Demonstrate God's unconditional love to your wife or husband today and watch how they bloom.

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.