My husband and I are going through the Love Dare Devotional. It is something we look forward to doing together everyday. We usually make use of Charles Spurgeon Morning and Evening Devotional or just random readings from the Bible. The Love Dare Devotional allows for couples to look closely at their marriage to help strengthen it.
As we move towards our tenth year in our marriage, the tendency for both of us to take each other for granted can be next to normal. This is especially true we are both overwhelmed with our busy schedules.
Devotions for couples can be as important as personal devotions. Why devotions, to begin with, you ask? It is plain to see that we receive faith by reading the word, faith then comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17) This faith will be the one to course us through victory over our flesh. Oh yes, we need that on a daily basis. Left to our selfish selves, we are bound to trip and live a mediocre life. A day gone and will never come back. I have seen this oh so clearly for myself. The day that I forego devotion is the day that I end up later in the day feeling sorry for some wrong choices.
Here’s an excerpt of Love Dare, Day 1:
Love works. It is life’s most powerful motivator and has far greater depth and meaning than most people realize. It always does what is best for others and can empower us to face the greatest of problems. We are born with a lifelong thirst for love. Our hearts desperately need it like our lungs need oxygen. Love changes our motivation for living. Relationships become meaningful with it. No marriage is successful without it.
Love is built on two pillars that best define what it is. Those pillars are patience and kindness. All other characteristics of love are extensions of these two attributes. And that’s where your dare will begin. With patience.
This makes me go back to the importance of having devotional time with my husband. But here’s the flash news, it took me more than a month to finally check the Dare 1 box. Just goes out to show how messed up I can be with my own husband, when I can be more than willing to go an extra mile for others. After all these years, God is still teaching me to be patient and He made sure I have quite a learning with my husband.
This reflects back to me that God is inarguably not done with me yet. The man that I love most in this world should first and foremost be the one to feel my love every single time. Sure, I can always point back to growing up in a very critical environment. But that is no excuse for carrying that over to the love of my life. When I told Jeff a couple of weeks back that I want to be a better wife, I meant that with all my heart and I am trusting God to help me through my imperfections and love my husband unconditionally.
Now that I was able to successfully mark that Dare #1 box, I am pressing on and working on Dare #2. Married couples have the tendency to forget all the extra stuff we used to do while we were still dating. I am totally guilty of that. But Dare #2 will have me on my feet from here on out. 🙂
