Love in Marriage, Part 3

Chuckle:  "My wife and I were at a "Dude Ranch" in Texas. The cowboy preparing the horses asked if she wanted a Western or English saddle, and she asked what the difference was. When he told her one had a horn and one didn't, she replied, 'The one without the horn is fine. I don't expect we'll run into too much traffic.'" 

 

Quote:  Often the difference between a successful marriage and a mediocre one consists of leaving about three or four things a day unsaid."  --Harlan Miller

 

LOVE IN MARRIAGE, Part 3       

 

    "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us . . ." (Ephesians 4:31-5:2). "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her"  (Ephesians 5:25 NIV). ". . . and the wife must respect (and love) her husband"  (Ephesians 5:33b NIV).

 

Last time, we began exploring some ways to help your love to grow for your family?  These included: (1) Recognizing and appreciating the fact that God loves each member of your family as much as he loves you. (2) Having a healthy love and respect for yourself. And (3) Practicing loving your family with your actions rather than words.

 

Today we continue with: (4) Increasing love in your family as you practice forgiveness.  It is inevitable that family members will bring pain to one another.  When this happens, we can get angry and "throw in the towel," or we can recognize that the only healthy, and God-pleasing, solution is forgiveness.  I found this definition of forgiveness: "Forgiveness is a gift in which the injured one gives up the right to retaliate and is willing to restore a warm relationship."

Greed and selfishness are the greatest enemies of marriage and the family. "A greedy man brings trouble upon his family" (Proverbs 15:27).  Greed is  wanting or taking all one can get without thought of what others need.  It is a demand for self-gratification.  With this selfish attitude, what I want becomes more important than my responsibility to my spouse or my children.

There are many ways we can increase the practice of love in our family living.  I believe the most important is trusting the Holy Spirit to pour out God's love within our hearts. "God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us" (Romans 5:5).  To increase love (romantic, respect, and help), we need to let the love of God for us become more real and personal.  As you grow closer to your Lord and experience His love more fully, it becomes much easier, and natural, to love your spouse, your children, and others as He loves you.

Love, Jerry & Dotse