Accept one another. (Romans 15:7)

My ability to show acceptance of another is contingent upon my deep knowledge of a loving and accepting Christ. If I am to accept my spouse as Christ has accepted me, then I need to understand His wonderful love for me.

God made a deliberate choice to allow Christ to die on my behalf. It was a choice that prioritized the relationship between my heavenly Father and me, His child. Christ took the initiative when He came to “seek and save the lost”. (Luke 19:10) He didn’t wait for me to “get my act together.” Rather, He looked beyond my actions and sins and accepted me as I was. This acceptance is unconditional and permanent. There is nothing I can do to earn it or lose it.

God demonstrated this unconditional acceptance when He looked beyond my faults to see my need. He didn’t excuse my sin but instead gave the best He had as a remedy for that sin.

This kind of “looking beyond” makes marriage work, too.

Accepting my spouse as Christ has accepted me means making a choice. It won’t be convenient or easy. It will mean taking some initiative. It may mean being the first to say “honey, I love you”. It may mean not waiting until he/she changes to tell him how glad you are to be his wife/husband.

Unconditionally accepting my spouse means looking beyond differences, disagreements and disputes. It means looking beyond irritations, personality flaws, and idiosyncrasies. It even means looking beyond wrongs and sins committed – not to excuse these things, but to see his/her worth in spite of them.

Q. In what ways can we daily demonstrate our deliberate and unconditional love for our spouse?

May this devotion help us to make a Deliberate, Unconditional, and Positive Response, towards our spouse on a daily basis.