Love is making a decision to commit to fulfilling another person’s legitimate needs.
Love is not having butterflies in your stomach every day. It is not looking for the ‘feels’ and expecting them to be there every day.
Those are not totally useless in a marriage of course. They are nice to have. They speed things along. For the sex to commence, and be enjoyable. For the joy to spark.
But are they the end-all and be-all of love?
No.
We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.
1 John 4:16
There will be days when you get annoyed that you don’t seem to get as much attention as you want. There will be weeks and months when you feel ignored. It’s not right, but it’s not not-love either. It doesn’t mean that you can end the commitment that you made.
That’s just like saying that God can change. And He does not.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Hebrews 13:8
Even-tempered, discerning, well-grounded adults know this.
We don’t chase after skirts or shorts (anymore) because it feels good in the moment.
We know that milk gets spilled every now and then, but it can always be wiped up.
We know that mistakes will be made, faults will be found, but in the end, it is still the will of God that will prevail.
And again, God is love.
But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
1 John 4:8
