Valentine’s Day has arrived, and so we’ll see roses, chocolate, and fancy hearts all everywhere. I’ve always found it fascinating and a little sad when men rush into stores with a desperate look on their faces, hoping they find a gift that keeps them out of trouble. However, I’m convinced that red fuzzy stuff has nothing to do with love. (Chocolate, maybe. LOL)
Everyone wants true romance that lasts a lifetime, not just on Valentines. But how can that happen? Many young people are dumping the idea of marriage to co habitation, as if marriage caused the problem.
We’ll turn to the Bible for answers. After all, God loved us first.
I Corinthians 13 says, “Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.
What a description! Can anyone live up to that?
My parents were married for almost fifty-six years when my mother passed away. So it is possible to have a wonderful, affectionate marriage despite the ups and downs life presents. Staying committed to showing your love makes the difference.
Life Coach, Angela Breidenbach is my guest. She has lots of ideas to guide you in following I Corinthians 13.
Lasting Love: A Story from History with Angela Breidenbach
Doesn’t everyone want lasting love?
We have just celebrated Valentine’s Day. Now everyone is either eating candy or watching their flowers wilt or wishing someone gave them candy and roses. Our society suffers from an obsession with love, and yet we can’t even define it. We love our homes, our cars, our pets, and our spouses. Whenever this emotion takes hold of us we must obey its bidding. We can fall in love and out of love quickly. Using Scripture, we can define love. (Of course, we have to go back to 30 a.d. to the time when the church began. the disciples wrote what they learned from Jesus.) The love God has for us is called agape. It’s a love that impacts the will, seeking the best for the one loved. Agape not based primarily
Using Scripture, however, we can define love. (Of course, we have to go back to 30 a.d. to the time when the church began. The disciples wrote what they learned from Jesus.) The love God has for us is called agape. It’s a love that impacts the will, seeking the best for the one loved. Agape is not based primarily in the emotions, although emotion comes along with it. Jesus demonstrated agape when he came to earth. He left his glory behind and came to die for our sins.
Agape love does unselfish acts of service regardless of what the emotions appear to dictate. This is the kind of love that lasts. Ladies, you and I know our emotions ride a roller coaster depending on the state of our hormones and the amount of sleep we get. If we truly care about someone, we will agape love them whether we feel the emotion or not. Many times, we choose to act, and those emotions come later.
Today Angela Breidenbach shares a story of love from the history of her family:
3:50 Your grandfather married your grandmother to keep her reputation?
Today’s media overwhelms us with talk of the sensual side of love. Clothing, perfume, toothpaste, and other merchandise will help you achieve‘sexy’ or ‘hot.’ TV and movies depict unmarried couples engaging in sex as if were no more important than lunch. As Christians, we believe sex belongs in marriage. The world might see our convictions as negative and prudish. But, on the positive side, since sex belongs in marriage, we should embrace and encourage sensuality in that context.
Years ago when I was shopping with my girls, I stopped to admire a fancy nightgown. One of my daughters looked horrified and commented that only a prostitute would wear such a garment. I knew right there it was time for a lesson, and I said,”Don’t ever call a married woman a prostitute.” Looking back, I probably came on too strong, because she frowned and walked off, rolling her eyes. But that’s a message the church needs to give to married couples and our young people. We should be shouting a big yes when we discuss sex after the ceremony.
I encourage women to be careful about relationships with men other than their husbands. Hormones work well. Things can make things get out of hand and create problems. I tend to be a little distant or even a little cold in that situation. Often I’ll address the man’s wife if she’s present. However, a woman can and should let go with her hubby. Come on, ladies. Flirt a little. It’s fun and appropriate. Check out Song of Solomon 1:2 where Solomon and his wife talk about their love for each other:”Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine.”
Many of us, however, get a bit stuck because of our self-image or a painful past, but there’s hope. Shannon Ethridge is my guest for Valentine’s Day. She has geared her entire ministry toward helping women get past their hangups and enjoy sex.
Shannon Etheridge
To learn more about Shannon and her ministry, click here.
As a believer, how should you go about finding your mate? Cynthia and her husband, Ray, share thoughts on how to set priorities and deepen relationships.
It’s almost Valentine’s Day and the media floods us with pink and red. But what is love? Everyone believes in love for a lifetime, but how do you achieve that? Deb DeArmond gives us Secret 2. Find out more about her and her ministry here.
Peggy Sue Wells and Cynthia discuss the issue of single parents dating. Singles feel out of place, so what if someone gets you a date without asking you first? How to handle Valentine’s Day if you are single.
