This chapter is titled: Love celebrates godliness. There are some cool things shared in this chapter. First off, it talks about some of the many things that war against God’s Word in our hearts:
From the moment you close your Bible in the morning, nearly everything else you’ll encounter throughout the day will be luring you away from its truths. The opinions of your coworkers, the news coverage on television, your typical Web sites, the various temptations of the day — all of these and more will be working overtime to shape your perceptions of what’s true and most desirable in life.
They’ll say that having a knockout wife who dresses to get other men’s attention is a good thing. They’ll say that bad language and immorality in the movies are fine for mature people. They’ll say that church isn’t important in a person’s life. They’ll say that we each must find God in our own way. They’ll say a lot of things. And they’ll say them so loudly and frequently that if we’re not careful, we can start believing that what they say is the way things should be. We can begin valuing what everybody else values and thinking the way everybody else does.
But the meaning of “real life” changes dramatically when we understand that God’s WOrd is the ultimate expression of what real life is. The teachings it contains are not just good guesses at what should matter. They are prrinciples that reflect the way things really are, the way God created life to be. His ideals and instructions are the only pathways to real blessing, and when we see people following them in obedience to the Lord, it should cause us to rejoice.
What makes you the proudest of your husband? Is it when he comes home with a trophy from the company golf tournament, or when he gathers the family before bedtime to pray together and read the Word?
What overjoys you the most in your wife? Is it seeing her try a new painting technique in the children’s bedrooms, or seeing her forgive the neighbor whose dog dug up her plants?
Love rejoices most in the things that please God. When your mate is growing in Christian character, persevering in faith, seeking purity, and embracing roles of giving and service — becoming spiritually responsible in your home — the Bible says we should be celebrating it. The word “rejoices” in 1 Corinthians 13:6 carries the idea of being absolutely thrilled, excitedly cheering them on for what they’re allowing God to accomplish in their lives.
I think some of those examples are so cool. I’m stoked to think about a spouse pleasing the other by being godly and loving and serving Jesus. That is so cool to admire people for the Jesus we see in them. That is so rad.
Today’s Love Dare:
Find a specific, recent example when your spouse demonstrated Christian character in a noticeable way. Verbally commend them for this at some point today.
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