September 2

It is said that a man met with his pastor to tell him he planned to divorce his wife because he no longer loved her. The minister reminded him that the Word tells men that they must love their wives. He said he simply could not. The pastor replied that if he could not love her as his wife he must love her as his neighbor for this is admonished in the scripture. The man said he could not.

At this point, the man of the cloth said, “Well, then you must love her as your enemy, for the Lord requires you to love your enemies. Whatever you do, you must love her.” We sometimes find ourselves in the same situation as the man in the illustration. We know we are to love, but cannot muster love within us.

The first step toward loving is the realization that the Hollywood image of love is not real. Love is not butterflies in your stomach and happy-ever-afters. Love is a covenant. It is a commitment before God. It is a solemn contractual agreement that is sealed in the Court of Heaven.

Beyond the love we owe to our spouse, the Word adjures us to love as Christ loves. How is that? In Galatians 6:10 it says, “In so far as you have opportunity, do good to all people, caring for their temporal and spiritual advantage, blessing them with love—especially those who share your faith in Jesus.”