Have you ever wished someone could hand you a step-by-step plan for changing your husband—or your wife?
Most of us have tried. We’ve explained, reminded, pointed out problems, offered advice, and perhaps even repeated ourselves a few times. Yet somehow the results are often disappointing.
But what if the very thing we think will produce change is actually making it harder?
In today’s reading, Proverbs paints a vivid picture of one kind of spouse and then contrasts it with another. The difference isn’t personality, intelligence, or even spiritual maturity. It’s something far more practical—and surprisingly powerful.
Could the best way to influence your spouse be the exact opposite of what comes naturally to most of us?
Have you ever heard someone say, “I love him but I’m just not ‘in love’ with him”? Maybe you have said or, at least, thought the same thing. If so, could your ideas about love be colored more by the world than by God’s Word? So, what is biblical love? Is it what greeting card writers or Hollywood movie producers want us to believe, some irresistible attraction, something we fall into and out of? Or is it something else?
Red hot love? Does God really approve of a red-hot sexual relationship within the context of marriage? Judge for yourself as you read the descriptive and suggestive language the lovers used in the Song of Solomon!
And what about pornography … is there a place for it within marriage or outside of it?
What is biblical love, and can it enable us to treat someone in a Christ-like way even when the other person is acting selfishly? How do the principles in God’s Word apply to marriage and every relationship (with parents, children, co-workers, friends, neighbors, extended family, even strangers)?
Also, read about God’s care for all of His creatures, our attitude toward the wicked, and get a link to a FREE printout for your devotional time that can help you assess how you’re doing in the area of biblical love.
Is there really one verse that could change your marriage forever? Could it change other relationships, as well? I believe there is! First, let me say that knowing this verse won’t change your marriage. Even memorizing this verse...
