8 Ways to Show Your Love
The last six months have been a challenge. More of a challenge for Sherri having to be sheltering in place with me. You have probably spent more time with your bride than you ever dreamed possible and this can put the best relationships to the test. It is easy to forget some of the most basic and important things for us as couples.
This is from the re|engage marriage enrichment seminar that we have hosted here at Frisco First. It is familiar, but it has blessed us, and it is my prayer that it will encourage you and your wife as well.
8 Ways to Show Your Love:
1. Encourage and be thoughtful at all times.
Don’t let your actions, attitude or speech wound your significant other or remind you of our past failures. Be patient. Your significant other doesn’t have to show immediate change or bring you instant gratification.
2. Humbly admit your own weaknesses.
How are you doing at celebrating your significant other instead of trying to one-up him/her? Marriage isn’t a competition.
3. Put your significant other’s desires first before your own.
Find joy in serving them instead of being manipulative. How can you be a student of your spouse today?
4. Overlook small offenses & graciously forgive larger ones.
Real love can handle interruptions, shortcomings and disappointments. Don’t let your flesh become angry or agitated. Your significant other is not perfect.
5. Remain committed even when hardships come.
Stay committed to your relationship regardless of what comes your way and regardless of what you receive in return.
6. Believe the best about your significant other & act in a trustworthy manner.
No secrets and full disclosure – 100% authenticity. Are you playing in the game or are you just sitting on the bench? You have to do your part to make the relationship work.
7. For the husband: Your responsibility and privilege are to love her like Christ loved the church.
(see Ephesians 5:25-28).
How are you doing at sacrificially putting aside your selfish desires in order to better sacrifice and serve her in the same vein with which Christ loved you?
8. For the wife: Your responsibility and privilege are to come alongside of your husband as a loving source of help and encouragement (see Ephesians 5:22-24).
How are you doing at helping your husband and submitting to his leadership as a sign of your love and affection?
This is not a checklist, but rather a set of principles posed to help you better love your spouse. God loves us perfectly and we have the privilege of loving each other in a ‘1 Corinthians 13’ way in marriage.
Together look at 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. Take some time this week to honestly assess and discuss with your significant other how you are doing in loving them in a ‘1 Corinthians 13’ manner. Let us not just love with words, but with action and in truth (1 John 3:18).