Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. (1 Thessalonians 4: 9)

You want to love each other but you don’t know how. Perhaps your parents were cold and distant all your life. Maybe they gave up on marriage and walked away. Your friends are constantly angry and disappointed by their partners. Couples who seemed strong are breaking their vows, one after the other. No book or psychologist holds all the answers. You feel lost and alone as you try to figure it out.

Be encouraged, because you have the Spirit as your marriage counselor. The One who loves perfectly offers all you need to love each other. The Word tells exactly what to do:

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking.
It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.
(1 Corinthians 13: 4-8)

Though a very familiar passage to all of us, let us pause on this day, where the world celebrates “LOVE” in whatever way it understands, let us ponder, meditate and introspect honestly, as to how many of Love’s characteristics are we applying in our marriage. If we are failing in any one character, let us honestly confess and seek the help of the Holy Spirit God and practice that character of Love in our marriage to build a God glorifying marriage which will be SALT and LIGHT in this world, where the institution of marriage is under great attack.

God paints the picture of what love is and gives power through the Spirit to do it. Let’s learn from Him and let make our marriage beautiful.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for teaching us how to love each other. Bind us together by your Spirit. Amen.

Hope this devotion will help us once again to introspect and build strong Christ-centered and Christ-glorifying marriage.