In every
marriage the feelings of love fluctuate and even wane over the years. However,
love is an action, not a feeling. As we show love by loving actions, the
feelings often return.
Agape love,
God's love in us, is always ready to make allowances for the human beings in
our life. We trust in God alone and we endure whatever comes by our hope in His
love for us, which never ends (1 Corinthians 13: 7-8).
God's love in
us for one another allows us to enjoy more intimacy with Him and our loved
ones. It helps us to eventually feel emotional intimacy and the mental
closeness of swapping ideas. We share friends in common to enjoy as well.
We
participate in the same hobbies, sports, clubs, fun activities, artistic
involvement and church programs and outreaches, etc. We adopt a similar
world-view, priorities and goals in life.
We enjoy
each other's company and participate in mutual affectionate play. We want to
spend more and more time together, pleasing each other in unhurried physical
trysts.
As Agape
Love grows, affirming one another's positive qualities is easier to do; and we
find fewer issues over which to bicker or disagree. We brag about one another
to other people rather than complaining or cutting each other down.
Appreciation,
gratitude, understanding one another, and cherishing each other breeds the
ability to dwell together with understanding, love, respect and preference of
each other over our self.
Prayer:
Father God,
remind us that a simple walk around the block encourages communication between
us and our mate. We have time to talk that is unhindered by chores and
children. We chat about troubles, trials, worries, the children, household and
work issues, troubled friendships, hopeful promotions and pay raises, etc. Remind
us that we can actually pray about all of these issues with one another as we
walk. As we walk, inspire us to pray for our neighborhood to come to Christ.
Help us to
schedule couple time to have fun, to turn off the TV, to share a cup of cocoa
and a sweet roll, to look in one another's eyes and foster romantic thoughts
and gestures, to hold hands and snuggle often, to read Your Word together every
day, to laugh or cry or just fall asleep together. We rely on You to keep or to
make our marriage great and to move us on in spiritual and emotional maturity.
Thought for
the Day:
Successful
marriages do not happen by chance; they take hard work, they involve choices to
include one another in decision making and couple time, they require honest
care and nurture by both parties of the couple, etc.
