Love Never Fails

Scriptures: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. ” (I Corinthians 13:4-8)

Many years ago, I saw a movie that left a great impression on me. It was about a couple in their fifties. The husband owned a small business and the wife was taking care of their home. They had a couple of children, with the elder one going to college and the younger one still in high school.

Their lives were moving along pretty good until one day the wife noticed that she was becoming forgetful of things or directions. So they went for a check up and discovered that she had Alzheimer. From that time on, her condition deteriorated quickly. Very soon, she was not able to know her way around, even her home and was not able even to recognize her family members, including her husband. Worse than that, she became unresponsive to them most of the time. This made everyone sad and was especially hard for her husband who loved her so dearly.

One day, in his daily jogging across the park, he met a woman whose gentle and caring spirit touched him. Out of his loneliness and hopelessness, he began to see this woman until one day he realized his caring for this woman seemed to have gone beyond a friend. This disturbed him a lot because, as helpless and hopeless he felt for his relationship with his wife, he still cared a lot about her. So he went to talk to his friend about the struggles he had.

In addition to counseling, his friend prayed for him and invited him to a evangelistic crusade where, for the first time, he heard about the love of God, the sacrificial and unwaveringly committed love. Reflecting on his relationships with the woman he met in the park and with his wife, he knew what he needed to do.

That night, after the crusade event, he went to talk to that woman and told her that he could not see her any more because he was still committed to his wife. Then, he went home to see his wife. Sitting at her side as she was lying in bed and not being able to recognize who he was, he took out their marriage certificate and recite his marriage vow with her, saying “I, ( ) , take you, ( ) , to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.”

This movie touched me deeply, not just because of the struggles he went through, but rather, because of his dedicated love to his wife which reminds me of the love of God. So often we act like someone who has a spiritual Alzheimer, disoriented and not being able to recognize our Lord, our God. Yet, time and again, in His words and deeds, He reiterated His love for us and recommitted Himself to this relationship we have with Him.

In our marriage vows, we can only commit “until death do us part.” But, with God, His commitment goes way beyond death. His love is good till eternity. As many people are renewing their marriage vows today, I wonder how many of us ever think about renewing our commitment to our Lord Jesus. He’s the One from whom we receive God’s love and learn to love the godly way.

Paul said in the book of Romans, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? …For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35, 38-39)

Thank you, Jesus!

Prayer Requests:
For those feeling strained or tension in marriage

Prayer:
Father, we know how to love because You first loved us. Help us to remain committed to Your love and truth so we can continue to show to this depraved world Your love they desperately need by the guidance of Your Spirit. In the glorious name of our Lord Jesus we pray, Amen!