February is the month that Valentine’s Day is in. Because of Valentine’s Day, February is looked upon by some to be a month of love.
One of the greatest expressions of love experienced by human beings is marriage. A man and woman get married when they fall in love and want to spend their lives together.
Marriage can be very challenging. It involves two imperfect people who must live together in small quarters. Many couples start out saying they are in love, but somewhere along the line all the honey runs out of the moon.
Marriage is an institution that was ordained and established by God. The Bible says that God is love. It stands to reason that if marriage is going to be successful, the author and developer of marriage needs to be consulted, and His principles and precepts must be adhered to. If God is love, married couples need to have the God kind of love.
The Bible outlines the God kind of love for us in I Corinthians 13. This is the kind of love that must be the foundation for successful marriage. The Amplified Bible translates this love by saying love is patient and kind, is never envious or boils over with jealousy. Love is not boastful or vainglorious, is not haughty, and is not conceited.
Love is not rude, love does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking, is not touchy or fretful or resentful, love takes no account of the evil done to it, love does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.
Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances.
Love never fails.
God intended for marriage to be a fulfilling bond between a man and a woman. For marriage to work, the God kind of love must be the center and circumference of the relationship.
During this month of love, I challenge all married couples to recommit to the God kind of love. If you do, you will establish a relationship that will not fail, because Love never fails and God never fails.
The Rev. W. Anthony Lawson Jr. is pastor of Jumping Run Church in La Grange. Reach him at jumprun@embarqmail.com.