Choose love



Love is a choice. 


I know some say you can't help who you fall in love with, but you choose who you stay in love with. 


Love and marriage aren't always "sunshine and roses" (but stop and smell those when it is), sometimes love means staying and making up, compromising and working things out when you dont get along and listening when all you want to do is shake your head and walk away. 


Love is a choice. Every single day you need to choose to love your spouse. Every single day you need to choose to do things that reflect that love and make your spouse feel loved. Not only in the ways that make you feel loved, but in ways that make them feel loved. Love languages are extremely important. Its easy to feel alone in a crowded room if no one ever shows you love the way your heart desires. 


Love is being patient and kind when you want to be angry or annoyed. Love is letting go of pride and choosing to hold back the hair of your wife while she's sick, gross, pregnant and puking. 


Love is honoring the opinions and desires of your husband and showing respect to him at all times, especially in public. Choosing to respect him. 


Love is not bashing or making fun of your spouse, not complaining about them to whoever will listen, but rather building them up with grace and encouragement. 


Love puts the other first. When a husband puts the needs of his wife before his own, he will be the man who leads his family with grace and wisdom.


Love is sacrificial. When a wife puts the needs of her husband before her own needs, she will be the wife that respects and honors her husband and raises her children rightly. 


Love means protecting your spouse in everyway. From the hurtful words or actions of others, from self-harm or emotional trauma, from anyone that would break them down, sometimes even protecting them from themselves. 


Love offers correction in kindness, grace and a true desire to see your spouse live rightly with God. When you choose to love someone, choose someone who loves God first and foremost. 


Love makes a choice. When you choose to love, choose someone who's love for God is evident in their life and actions. Choose the man or woman who will always turn you back to the truth of the gospel, will always make decisions grounded in faith and trust in God. 


Because here's the thing about love. You can love someone even when they've hurt you, you can love someone even when you're angry and annoyed at them. You may not always like the person or the things they've done, but you can choose to keep loving them because you made a promise. 


God never breaks His promises to us, and we must never make promises lightly or in vain. Let your yes be yes. If you're going to say yes to spending the rest of your life with someone, be very sure they're the type of person that will always put God first, and you second. 


Yes, you are second place. When we try to live our lives the way God tells us to, love becomes easier. Choosing that love every day becomes easier. 


If both husband and wife are striving to live a Godly life, they'll strive to be the perfect spouse. Not sure how to be the perfect spouse? Read the gospel, God didn't leave us to try figure things out on our own. He gave us a book filled with wisdom and truth. 


Want to make sure the person you're saying yes to is worth saying yes to? Look at their daily life. Do they turn to God and seek Him in all things? Do they read His word every day? Do they speak openly about their faith and share it with you? Can you pray together? 


When you've found this sort of Christian, then marriage, while it may not always be easy, will always have a guide for how to keep loving and respecting your spouse. The "rules" will always be clear and the goal will always be the same.


Through trials, through difficulties, through illness, through sorrow, through all things, seek the Lord's guidance together and He will bless you.


Notice how I mention both spouses? It takes two people who choose God and eachother every single day. The moment one of you stops choosing God or stops choosing to put the other first, the devil tries to crack your armor. He will push on every devision, and try to break you apart. Dont allow the devil or temptations to make you break your vows. 


Love is a choice. God chose to love you. Choose to love God, choose a godly person, choose to love and stay. 



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