Love and Marriage

On the 12th day of May, in the year of the Lord 2014, my beloved wife, Sangeetha and I, celebrated thirteen years of a married life and as I reminisced about the evidence of God’s invisible hands in our lives, my heart was filled with a sense of awe and love for God the Father, Christ Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit God.

Even though many a times, I have sought after my selfish desires, Sangeetha’s love has been a constant, for she emulates the love of God, not just in speech but in action and I am still learning, one step at a time, to love as the Triune God in One loved.

For behold what manner of love, God the Father, has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God (1 John 3:1). I am learning that my love in my marriage should be an “adopting” love.
Christ Jesus, God’s Only begotten Son, has demonstrated his love toward us, for while we were still sinners, he died for us (Romans 5:8). I am learning that my love in my marriage should be a “sacrificial” love.
The Holy Spirit is of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7), and the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, the greatest in relation to faith and hope (Galatians 5:22; 1 Corinthians 13:13). I am learning that my love in my marriage should be a “productive” love.

Points to ponder:
Love is the glue that binds a marriage together and so without love, there is no marriage! We are asked to love, for love covers (forgives) a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). Additionally, we are asked to love one another, for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God, and knows God. He that loves not, knows not God, for God is love. (1 John 4:7-8); and knowing God is eternal life (John 17:3).
Jesus Christ is our bridegroom and one day the marriage of the Lamb of God (Jesus Christ) will come and his wife (we , the Church, who believe in him and who walk according to his will and way, after the Holy Spirit) will have made herself ready – by loving God first, and loving others next.
What are some of the attributes you would use to describe your love for God and for men?

Prayer:
Lord God, I pray, that I would love, as you first loved us – with an adopting, sacrificial and productive love, so that I may know you, and in knowing you, been born into your kingdom and have eternal life. Lord, help me to make myself ready for you. Lord, help me to love.

1 John 4:7-21 (KJV)
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.