Love

Love

 

Dear Champions,

The short excerpt is by Tim Keller, and the Scripture is 1 Corinthians 13:4-7  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, 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.

When people say, "Why don't we live together?  Why do we need to be married?  I love you.  Why do I need a piece of paper to show you that love?"  If you define love as a feeling, that's right.  Biblically, if somebody says, "I love you, but I don't want to marry you."  What they mean is, "I don't love you that much."  There's no way around that. 

 

A person who says, "I love you, and I want to marry you," loves you more than the person who says, "I love you, but I don't want to marry you."  Biblically, love is a commitment.  It's what you most want, and you know that.  When somebody says, "I don't need a piece of paper to show that I love you," yes you do! 

 

Love is simply a decision to serve somebody and be committed regardless of your feelings and how that person acts.  The person attracts you, there are a lot of things that you like about them, you have fun together, and that takes you to the door.  At a certain point, the door will not open until you simply make a decision that you are going to love this person.  Your feelings will always come and go.  A lot of people don't get married because they're sure that if this is the one, "My feelings will never ebb.   I will just know that it's the one because I'll never have any problems.  I'll never look at that person and feel, Ugh!  I'll always feel like giving myself to them."  

 

You will wait until Hell freezes over if you wait for that.

 

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining