Love as the Cornerstone

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 1 John 4:16

I really do believe that “love makes the world go round.” Why would I say that? Because God is love. It is his love for us that makes all of life meaningful. First John 4 reminds us that when we realize how much God loves us, it is so magnificent that we put our trust in that love. Even those who do not believe in God are the recipients of his love. He gives them life and the opportunity to respond to his love. He wants to forgive and enrich their lives. His plans for them are good.

What does all of this have to do with marriage? God instituted marriage because he loved us. His intention was certainly not to make us miserable; he made us for each other. Husband and wife are designed to work together as a mutually supportive team to discover and fulfill God’s plans for their lives. It’s beautiful when it works.

What is the key to having that kind of marriage? In a word, love. It is the choice to look out for each other in the same way that God looks out for us. It is allowing God to express his love through us. It doesn’t require warm feelings, but it does require an open heart.

PRAYER
Father, thank you for your amazing love for us. When we know you, we know the true definition of love, because you are love. I want to have this kind of love for my spouse, too. Please transform me and show me how to love my husband or wife this way.