Love never quits when the rent isn't
paid;
When the dishes aren't done or beds
aren't made.
Love never quits when the cupboard is
bare;
When he buys a new car or she restyles
her hair.
Love never quits when the kids wear
you thin.
When the meatloaf is burnt—is that really a sin?
Love never quits when your wallet is
flat;
When his hair's getting thin or he's
getting too fat.
Love never quits, we're a pattern, you
see,
Of how Christ loves the church—you and
me.
His love doesn't quit, though often we
do!
He loves us, will love us, all our
life through.
—Norman R. Lindsay
When all the prophecies have run their course, when all
the marriage seminars have come and gone, when all the crises and events of
life have had their day—these three will remain: Faith, hope, and
love. If these three characteristics are the foundation of a
fruitful life and marriage, then it is wise for us to reflect on them for a few
minutes.
Faith, according to the writer of Hebrews, is the substance,
the stuff, the tangible portion, of our hopes, and evidence,
the proving of those things which are unseen. To put it in terms we
experience each day, faith, very simply, is to trust someone or something that
I do not necessarily understand.
Marriage is much like that. For a marriage to be strong;
there must be faith—even when we do not understand. Not only must we have
faith in God, we must have faith in each other. There are many things I do not understand about Judy. Nonetheless, I fully trust her character.
This is where faith and hope join hands.
Hope says I want to believe Judy will be trustworthy in
a particular aspect. Faith is convinced she will! And each time my trust in her
is proven in a specific item, my faith in her grows.
There are many things I can hope. I can hope Judy will always love me. I can hope that she will never be unfaithful to me. I can hope she will want to remain my best friend for as long as we live. Hence, I join my hope to my faith and face the future with expectancy.
Agape, as we all already know, refers to that unconditional love which implies a commitment to love—no matter what. And I might add, there is a reason Paul says when all else is gone, the three things which remain are faith, hope, and love—the greatest of these being agape love. Because, without a commitment which is unconditional, we would not stay the course on those other areas of necessity for a healthy marriage. No matter how many hardships come our way, our love will last—because we have unconditional love for each other. We have committed yourselves to love each other for the rest of your lives. This is why the experts say love is a choice, a decision—not a feeling.
Please take the time, over the next few days, to share your hopes and concerns with each other. Moreover, I would urge you not to make this an empty exercise. Instead, make it a stepping stone to a healthier marriage.
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