June 9, 2020

Love Endures – Day 39 of the Love Dare

Day 39 – Love Endures

Love Endures – Day 39 of the Love Dare. I’ve made so many mistakes in my life and in my marriage. And being on the receiving end of my husband, I can also say so has he. But what has kept us together after 35 years? What has stopped us from throwing in the towel, saying “I quit” and just walking away? It is our wedding vows, our promise to each other – till death do us part !!

Is this to say I don’t think we would benefit from a break – maybe be apart for a few days? Maybe a couple of weeks? Sure, this thought has run through my head every once in a while. But I love my husband dearly. Maybe I don’t like him all the time, but I do love him with all my heart. And even with all his faults, his stubbornness, and his craziness – I am committed to him and to our marriage. It’s because our love endures.

Day 39 – Love Endures

“Love Never Fails”
Corinthians 13:8

THE DARE: Spend time in personal prayer, then write a letter of commitment and resolve to your spouse. Include why you are committing to this marriage until death, and that you have purposed to love them no matter what. Leave it in a place that your mate will find it.

LOVE CHOOSES TO ENDURE EVEN THROUGH TOUGH TIMES

When times get rough, when relationships are on the rocks, when you feel like there is no good end in sight, love chooses to endure even through the toughest issues.

love keeps pursing even when threatened
love keeps moving forward even when challenged
love refuses to give up even when mistreated and rejected

LOVE NEVER FAILS

Sometimes when a marriage is in crisis, one spouse will bare their heart and tell the other they will not give up on their marriage and they will make it work no matter what. But the other spouse may not be open to hearing this nor do they want their marriage to last anymore. They may feel they have had enough and just want out.

Then the partner who just opened their heart, gives in because of rejection and anger and says “fine – do what you want !!”

But is this really love? Does love stop when it’s not received the way you want it? If love can be told to quit loving, then it’s not really love.

Love from God is unending and is unstoppable. Love keeps giving even if the other doesn’t choose to. Because LOVE NEVER FAILS – NEVER !!

Love Endures – Day 39 of the Love Dare

This is what Jesus’ love is like – never failing. Christ proved his never-failing love when He was not supported in the garden while in agony, in the courtyard when Peter denied Him 3 times, and when his men failed Him just hours after telling Him they would never fall away.

And yet, even after that – Jesus never stopped loving them and He came back to restore them.

GENUINE LOVE IS A MASTER OF RECONCILIATION

Couples often claim “irreconcilable differences” when their marriage falls apart. But genuine love is a master of reconciliation. When love takes over, we humbly apologize and take full responsibility for our failures, and then fully forgive where our spouse has failed us.

Love constantly inspires honesty, respect, commitment, forgiveness, and endurance to grow within us. This is how resilient marriages are built.

So take the challenge and place IN PRINT, that no matter what imperfections exists in both you and in your spouse, no matter what they’ve done or how often they’ve done it, your love is still strong and you choose to love them anyway.

The days of being inconsistent in love are gone. You accept this one man or woman as God’s special gift to you and you promise to love them until death. And with this, you are telling your spouse: