Spiritually Unequal Marriage

Subscribe

· · ·

Weekend Devo – Love Never Fails

"Love never fails." – 1 Corinthians 13:8 I grew up thinking love was the key to everything. I don't know why, but this was my mental make-up as a child,…

Bible "Love never fails." – 1 Corinthians 13:8

I grew up thinking love was the key to everything. I don't know why, but this was my mental make-up as a child, a teenager, and then a young adult. Yet as I grew older, I started to question if love was really enough.

Over time I noticed that love seemed to fail over and over again-failed marriages, broken families, shattered friendships. And even in my faith I questioned whether love alone was enough to save anyone or anything.

Too young to understand the difference as a child, I'd defined love according to our human capacity, philia, which translates to friendship or brotherly love (man's capacity). Only later did I learn about God's love, agape, which is selfless and self-sacrificing (God's capacity).

As I reflected on the childhood ways I'd left behind (as Paul says), I suddenly saw the connection which brought me full circle to the truth I'd embraced as a Christian.

My simple belief as a child was right. Love can accomplish anything, save anyone, heal everyone.

When it's God's.

Praying and believing,
Dineen

Comments

10 responses

  1. Denise Avatar
    Denise

    Amen my friend, so very true.

    Reply
  2. Julianne Avatar
    Julianne

    Dineen I so agree that we must allow God’s love to pour through our hearts to others, then we become His hands extended to others.
    A very hard lesson for some of us. It took me almost 40 years to understand the difference between “the best of my love” flowing out of my heart and surrendering to allow “God’s love” to flow out of my heart. His love is so much more real, sacrificial, merciful, and gracious. His love heals!

    Reply
  3. Shelby Avatar
    Shelby

    Amen, Dineen. I spent way too much time believing in the wrong kinds of love, the kinds that fail you and hurt you and kick you when you’re down or that just plain go away after a while. I was blessed in a way, though, that those kinds of “failures” left me open to the true love of God.

    Reply
  4. Caroline Avatar
    Caroline

    Thank you for this affirmation, that love never fails…when it’s God’s!

    Reply
  5. Stacey Avatar
    Stacey

    I do believe that love never fails when it pertains to God’s love towards us. However, when I try to hold myself to the Biblical definition of love I seem to fall short. I thank God that He (God) never falls short.

    Reply
  6. Rob Avatar
    Rob

    I am probably one of the few men who read these enouraging updates and comments. Thank you! It is so helpful to know I am not alone in all this.
    I am a believer, in the a ministry in fact and married to a non believer. Over the years my spouse has stuggled with infidelity but I have shown my love throughout the hurt and deception. I have kept her in prayer almost every moment of every day.
    Several months ago I changed my prayer request. Instead of asking to God to bring her around, I have asked Him to show her the ripple effects of her behavior. And He has answered with such force that unless you are a Christian, it is almost unbelieveable.
    Keep up the good work and keep sending me these encouraging messages.

    Reply
  7. Peggy Avatar
    Peggy

    Whew!
    AGAPE love…AMEN!
    And plus the link from “Kittens…” to here worked for me…yeahhhh!!!
    You see Dineen, as a child, teen & young love…you started with a pure concept of love that humans kept messing up. I still am not sure if I got “love” right but when I line it up against God’s Word in 1 Cor. 13…I see how far I have fallen from LOVE in the agape sense many times. It’s hard to love unconditionally
    but a lot more healthy!
    Still working on LOVE…

    Reply
  8. Dineen Miller Avatar
    Dineen Miller

    Thanks for your awesome comments, everyone! I think if we sat together we could fill HOURS with this discussion just based on experiences alone! God is so good.
    And welcome, Rob! Nice to have a male perspective! Thanks for sharing your prayer. Awesome idea…

    Reply
  9. Rosheeda Avatar
    Rosheeda

    Oh boy Rob! What a way to pray. I love seeing God answer bold (and sometimes, hard) requests.
    Neen, it is so amazing that you posted on this. I wondered if love really is enough for a long time, because that message is now so counter-cultural. For as long as I can remember, I have heard things like ‘love doesn’t pay the bills. love doesn’t put food on the table.’ or just plainly ‘love is NOT enough’, but when things started getting serious w/me and H, I ws convicted that love IS enough – not because i see how it benefits me (because I didn’t at the time), but because God says so. And this last few years has been a glorious lesson in learning just what the Lord means when He says that love never fails.
    Great post girl!

    Reply
  10. Lynn Avatar
    Lynn

    Amen Dineen… I am leaning on these arms of love. Hugs and have a great week.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *