Divine Design

When I think about my relationship with my wife Amy, it is hard to believe that I have been married for 18 going on 19 years. Of all the accomplishments that I cherish in my life I believe that to be one of the greatest and also one of the most difficult. The list of challenges that I have faced are many, Graduate work, raising teens, planting six churches, discipling sheep that don't want to be discipled and the list could go on and on. At the front of the list of difficult is figuring out how to love my wife with a love that is unselfish and pure. There are plenty of marriages that make it a long time, but there are few that make it according to the Divine Design. The Divine Design for all relationships, especially marriage is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13 says, "Now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

That's a pretty huge mouth full if you think about it. The Word of God says it is impossible to please God without faith. We can't please God if we don't believe Him at His Word. If we think we can find fulfillment and happiness on our own it's like standing in a batter's box trying to hit a baseball. We can't even get from the batters box to first base without faith. We just keep swinging and swinging and striking out without faith.

We have also seen what happens when a person loses hope. Life becomes intolerable. Without the hope of a better tomorrow or an eternity there is a massive crater in a persons heart that no amount of money, sex or fun can fill. Yet we watch as so many people cling to things, people or fame to try and fill that hole. A life without a solid hope in a greater purpose is empty and terrifying for the contemplative person who considers their life.

But the scipture ratches it up a notch and says that an even greater need is to give and receive love. Love is the greatest motivator and relationship builder known to man.

Marie T. Freeman said, "Marriage should be many hours of joy interuppted by an occasional minute or two of frustration-not the other way around."

Ed Young also said, "Affection should be the underlying atmosphere of marriage twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week."

If love truly is the greatest of these, then our spouses, children, friends, church family and co-workers should be getting our best in this regard.

Make a careful study today of 1 Corinthians 13 and ask these questions:

Am I showing my family love more than my frustrations?
What keeps me from giving this type of love?
What do I need to change so that my family can better see and experience love?

Further Study: Look up 'Love' in your Bible's Concordance. Write the references down on a paper and then one by one read the verses about love.

After you have done that go to www.blueletterbible.com and in the Bible Search type in love and choose another translation. Read through the verses that appear.

Pray: Ask God what He needs to do in you to help you better live a life of love.