Love Is Godly

Love...is Godly.

Love is a work of art that is constructed after what Christ did for us. He hung Himself on a cross for us, knowing full well the pain and agony He would be in.

He is the original lover. He was the first, and He will be the last. Jesus Christ is the model after which all love should be modeled. We should aspire to love as long and well as Jesus has. Love is a sacrifice that He willingly made for us. "Greater love has no man than this that he lay down his life for his friends." Jesus did all that. He doesn't need to prove His love to us anymore. He already has. He died for us, He bled for us, He cried to show us that it's okay to cry, He literally went through hell and back so we wouldn't have to, and He loves us more than any earthly father could love a child. He had no thought for Himself when He came down, willingly to be in pain worse than we can imagine.

"One of the primary characteristics of godly love, however, is that it is focused more upon others than upon ourselves.  Did you notice verse 5 above?  It says that love “is not self-seeking.”  Indeed, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).  Of course, this is exactly the type of love that Jesus showed for us!  And this is the type of love that we need to show to our spouses as well."

Our love in a Godly relationship should be as that of Christ and His church. The ultimate bride and groom. The first ever marriage bond. When we promise to love and cherish someone, we are promising to be as Christ-like as possible. Whether that means holding someone late at night like He does, or forgiving where it is not deserved as per His example. When we slip on that wedding ring, we are making a vow that we will walk like Christ did, and love...love like He did His church. We are promising that we are willing to lay down our lives for our spouse-to walk through hell and back again to make sure they are safe and will not have to tolerate pain anymore.
We are promising to honor them, and speak to them, to be loyal, and to grow closer each day to Christ, and thereby to our spouse.

"There are no quick fixes to growing in godly love.  Spiritual growth is much like physical growth: it’s a process that takes time.  But just as physical growth is helped by solid nourishment, so too is spiritual growth.  Here are two avenues that will provide some solid nourishment for our spiritual growth in love in marriage.

1. Getting to know Jesus – Jesus is the perfect model of selfless love.  In Ephesians 5:25, husbands in particular are commanded to follow Jesus’ example as they seek to love their wives.  If we would seek to love like Jesus, we need to be serious about getting to know Jesus more intimately.  This happens through good fellowship with other Christians, reading God’s Word, and prayer.  Again, this is not a “quick fix”.  It is a process that takes time.  But it will aid us greatly in learning to love with a godly love.
   
2. Relying upon the Holy Spirit – love is explicitly called a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).  As a result, godly love is not something that we muster up in our own strength.  Instead, it is something that God Himself empowers us to do by His Holy Spirit.  This means that we need to look to God in repentance and faith on a day-by-day basis for the strength of His Holy Spirit."
   
   
    There is no way to be completely like Christ. He is perfect, and forever, and though every model has defects, He never did, and He never will. He is...the perfect bridegroom, and the church is meant to be His perfect bride. Model your marriage after Christ, and His bride, and you will never need to hesitate to say you love your soul mate.
   
   
   Sweet dreams, gems.
   
   
   Marisa