“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 (NIV)
What does a good marriage look like? It’s a question looked at from different angles—whether we’re single and thinking about it, engaged, happily married, not-so-happily married, or divorced . . . our current life status will influence how we answer that question. Our upbringing will go a long way toward our minds on the issue.
My parents’ marriage became a positive reality only after they allowed God to come into their lives and home life. That’s when the virtues of 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 became reality. Their commitment and dedication to each other lasted right through their 66 years together, until they left us, leaving behind a legacy of true love and devotion to each other.
In Canada and the USA, I’ve heard that almost half of all marriages end in divorce. That’s not a healthy statistic! To do things better, we
need to abandon mainstream society’s definition of love, exchanging it for 1 Corinthians 13 and the elements of true, pure love listed there.
Topping that list are patience and kindness. My dad was not always a patient man, but as he grew in the Lord, that started to change. He and mom became the best of friends, and the gentleness and patience in the way he treated her became more and more evident. We saw the way he held her arm when they were in town. He even carried her purse for her sometimes! It became clear that God was truly the center of their relationship, and that’s what I think of when I consider what a good marriage looks like.
Thank you, Lord, for the example of parents committed to You and to their marriage. Amen!
– Milly Jackson
Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.
The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website.
Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org