Marriage is a love commitment. It’s not always easy. Early in our marriage my husband regularly irritated me by putting dishes away in the wrong cupboards. I would look and look for something only to discover it in some strange location. He seemed to take the situation lightly. In my frustration I became vigilant, detecting his erroneous dish positioning and pointing it out to him so he could repent.
One day I opened a cupboard and found a dish sitting in a ridiculous location. What kind of man had I married? Inside the dish was a little note: “The kitchen detective strikes again!” Suddenly I saw how foolish it was of me to get angry over dish positioning. Then I remembered something we had done in premarital counseling. We were asked to write 10 things we loved about each other and keep the list handy in case we ever questioned why we had gotten married. One of my reasons was his zany sense of humor.
Why Love God?
In marriage it sometimes takes “why” reminders to keep us focused on the initial love that prompted our lifelong commitment. We are told to love God with all our heart and soul and strength. Jesus confirms that this is the greatest commandment. God wants us to love him. How can we obey? How can we keep our love commitment to God when it seems like he’s putting the dishes in the wrong cupboard?
Make the List
The Bible is filled with “why” reminders to keep us focused. Read it! It isn’t hard to love God when we understand the great love he has for us. Think about the journeys and battles you’ve been through in life. Think about moments you’ve felt his love the most intimately. Write down your own list of “why” reminders. Keep the list handy so you can remind yourself of the wonderful things God has done in your life. Share your list with your children and grandchildren. God made a love commitment to you. Honor that love by loving him in return. |L
Dianne McIntosh lives in Sweet Home, Oregon with her husband John and her daughter Annalee. Dianne works with the Oregon Christian Convention doing publicity and program development.
