 |
| Real love refreshes! |
Real love is one of the most amazing forces on the Earth. Real love can overwhelm depression and discouragement. Real love can shatter loneliness. Real love can radically change painful circumstances. Real love can bring healing to the most devastating hurts. Real love can change the future of others for generations. Real love can transform people in positive ways. Real love can change cities. Real love can pull people back from the brink of destruction. Real love can create wonderful, stable families. Real love can bring a drop of Heaven to Earth. Just hearing a story about real love brings a tear to the eye and a leap of joy and hope to the heart. Surely, you have experienced it. Every human has an innate deep longing to experience the glory of real love. Real love has amazing power to do incredible feats here on Earth! We have been given the power to pour out real love.....or not.
One would wonder, after thinking about the possibilities of love, why real love has not completely transformed the world into a paradise, or at least our marriages.
The answer lies in the basic conflict between the essence of love and our basic human tendencies. The essence of love is a willingness to sacrifice greatly in order to do what is beneficial for another (1John 3:16-18). Love is giving with a good attitude.
Our basic human tendencies compel us to exalt self above all others and do what is most beneficial for self regardless of how it effects others. Self serving is taking with a passion for self. (1Corinthians 13:5)
This conflict will eventually wear away the beauty of love in a marriage if it is not carefully resisted.
This week, determine to be a real lover to your husband/wife. Here are some helpful tips:
One would wonder, after thinking about the possibilities of love, why real love has not completely transformed the world into a paradise, or at least our marriages.
The answer lies in the basic conflict between the essence of love and our basic human tendencies. The essence of love is a willingness to sacrifice greatly in order to do what is beneficial for another (1John 3:16-18). Love is giving with a good attitude.
Our basic human tendencies compel us to exalt self above all others and do what is most beneficial for self regardless of how it effects others. Self serving is taking with a passion for self. (1Corinthians 13:5)
This conflict will eventually wear away the beauty of love in a marriage if it is not carefully resisted.
This week, determine to be a real lover to your husband/wife. Here are some helpful tips:
- Ask God to show you where self serving has crept into your love for your mate.
- Ask God for forgiveness and help to return to real love.
- Think about how to really be a blessing to your mate...act on it.
- Resist the tendency to favor and protect self and throw yourself into giving kindness and love to your mate in lavish ways. Break down the barriers.
- Try to stop focusing on yourself and your needs and wants and hurts. Instead focus on your mate's needs, wants, and hurts. Choose to pour love out on your mate.
- Remember, real love has powerful, positive effects. You are unleashing a flood of goodness in your family...who knows what great things may come from it over time!
- Remember, it really is better to give than to receive! Try it!
Real Love is not self serving!
For more ideas to help boost your marriage, order our book, I Still Do.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for taking time to read my blog and make a comment. Please remember to be respectful of other who might be reading this...make sure your comment is helpful to others. Thank you again.