We watched a movie recently and a line was, "Why do two people get married anyway? How can you promise to feel the same way forever?"
I agree with the girl who said this. You can't promise to feel a certain way forever. Feelings are very fickle and do not always behave very rationally.
But, what this girl failed to realize is that love is not a feeling and marriage is not a promise to feel anything.
Love is the unconditional commitment to act in a loving manner. This is love between a man and his wife, a mother and her children, neighbors, and the lost. If we say we love someone it means that we commit to behave in a loving way--even when we don't feel like it!
When those that I'm close to try my patience and I feel like throwing in the towel, I will remember, "Love suffers long..."
When that person cuts in front of me at the grocery store and I'm tempted to burn them with my laser stare, I will remember, "Love is kind...."
When my girlfriend's husband brings her flowers and whisks her off on romantic weekends or buys her a new dishwasher, I will remember, "Love does not envy..."
When my husband brings me flowers and whisks me off to a romantic weekend or buys me a new dishwasher, I will remember, "Love does not parade itself, it is not puffed up..."
When I'm tempted to give my husband a cold shoulder or tell him to take a cold shower, I will remember, "Love does not behave rudely..."
When I'm tempted to spend the grocery money on a new pair of shoes, I will remember, "Love does not seek its own...."
When the children start the day whining and it only gets worse from there, I will remember, "Love is not provoked..."
When my mind wants to play all the what ifs, I will remember, "Love thinks no evil...."
When I'm flipping channels and tempted to linger a little at that interesting daytime drama, I will remember, "Love does not rejoice in iniquity..."
When the enemy tells me that I'm not in love anymore or that my husband isn't in love with me anymore I will tell the enemy to hush because, "Love rejoices in the truth..."
When life throws me all sorts of curves and my rose colored glasses get fogged up with my tears I will remember, "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
When I don't know what to do next or what choice to make. I will take necessary risks because, "Love never fails."
Marriage, parenting, Christianity--or any other worthwhile commitment in this life--is not based on feelings. It's a commitment that even when I don't feel like loving you, when you are not being lovable, when I'm tired, when I'm hurt, I will behave in a loving way. That's Christian love.
Too bad the mother of the girl in the movie didn't explain that to her. Instead she said, "Yeah, sometimes things change."
I agree with the girl who said this. You can't promise to feel a certain way forever. Feelings are very fickle and do not always behave very rationally.
But, what this girl failed to realize is that love is not a feeling and marriage is not a promise to feel anything.
Love is the unconditional commitment to act in a loving manner. This is love between a man and his wife, a mother and her children, neighbors, and the lost. If we say we love someone it means that we commit to behave in a loving way--even when we don't feel like it!
When those that I'm close to try my patience and I feel like throwing in the towel, I will remember, "Love suffers long..."
When that person cuts in front of me at the grocery store and I'm tempted to burn them with my laser stare, I will remember, "Love is kind...."
When my girlfriend's husband brings her flowers and whisks her off on romantic weekends or buys her a new dishwasher, I will remember, "Love does not envy..."
When my husband brings me flowers and whisks me off to a romantic weekend or buys me a new dishwasher, I will remember, "Love does not parade itself, it is not puffed up..."
When I'm tempted to give my husband a cold shoulder or tell him to take a cold shower, I will remember, "Love does not behave rudely..."
When I'm tempted to spend the grocery money on a new pair of shoes, I will remember, "Love does not seek its own...."
When the children start the day whining and it only gets worse from there, I will remember, "Love is not provoked..."
When my mind wants to play all the what ifs, I will remember, "Love thinks no evil...."
When I'm flipping channels and tempted to linger a little at that interesting daytime drama, I will remember, "Love does not rejoice in iniquity..."
When the enemy tells me that I'm not in love anymore or that my husband isn't in love with me anymore I will tell the enemy to hush because, "Love rejoices in the truth..."
When life throws me all sorts of curves and my rose colored glasses get fogged up with my tears I will remember, "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
When I don't know what to do next or what choice to make. I will take necessary risks because, "Love never fails."
Marriage, parenting, Christianity--or any other worthwhile commitment in this life--is not based on feelings. It's a commitment that even when I don't feel like loving you, when you are not being lovable, when I'm tired, when I'm hurt, I will behave in a loving way. That's Christian love.
Too bad the mother of the girl in the movie didn't explain that to her. Instead she said, "Yeah, sometimes things change."
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