Love Bears, Believes, Hopes, Endures All Things October 10, 2008
Today we finish our look at 1 Corinthians and its application to marriage with these powerful words: Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
How many times have I heard these words read at weddings! When Benny is not officiating the ceremony, I love such moments because we can move closer and clasp hands…rejoicing in the gift of marital love and anticipating all the happy couple has to look forward to. Many times we even get to slow dance at the reception, and add our bubbles to hundreds of others as we send off the glowing couple driving away for a romantic honeymoon.
Then we go home. The house is untidy. Laundry has to be moved from the washer to the dryer. The dog has to be walked…quickly. The music and candles are gone. The kids are wondering about dinner (how can they be hungry???). He wonders if I remembered to pick up the dry cleaning. Suddenly I’m tired; feeling pulled by people and duties; craving quiet and candles and music…
This is when what we think really affects how we live.
• Love bears all things: When I’m tired of being a sinner, and living with a sinner. When he isn’t changing as quickly as I would like. When he disappoints or hurts me again.
• Love believes all things: When he’s more confident in his decision than I am. When my trust in God’s sovereign control over our marriage, finances, children and future is brought into question in my heart. When I’m in unbelief over the future of our marriage and the necessary changes to grow.
• Love hopes all things: When I’m weary and discouraged at patterns in our marriage not changing. When I want to get mad or lecture him about how his sin is affecting me, but I sense the need to remind him (and myself) of the gospel. When I see him struggling and don’t know how to help him.
• Love endures all things. When conflict and tension are sapping my faith and exposing both our sin. When our family experiences the consequences of poor decisions he has made. When I am tired and lacking motivation to continue to lay down my life for the man God gave me to help.
Love does all these things. All the time? Without fail? No. But please don’t think your recurring temptations are because your husband is more of a sinner than your friend’s husband. As a pastor’s wife who has close friendships with lots of other pastor’s wives — all married to wonderful godly men you probably respect — please know your struggles are common. It’s not about who we are married to, but who we are. We all sin and we all remain in need of a Savior; One who has promised He will finish what He started when He saved us from the wrath of God as penalty for our sins.
Paul has given us quite a curriculum for being godly wives, hasn’t he? I pray you will take the time soon to review these truths and come up with one thing you need to do in response to it all. And when you do, take your one thing to the cross where you will find all the help, grace, power, faith and strength you need to change.
Lord, what would we do without Your word? Thank you for its penetrating affect on my heart. I’m so grateful for both your conviction and Your empowering grace to help me apply what I’ve learned. Please help me to see the one thing I need to do in response to these truths. I’m so prone to forget, Lord, so please keep all this before me. I’m excited about the changes that will come as I trust You with these workings in my heart. I love you, Lord, and I love my husband. May he be the recipient of all You’re doing in my heart! Amen.
Posted by Sheree


Today let’s look into the second quality listed in 1 Corinthians 13:4: Love is kind. 



