Romans 5:6-8 says, “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” 1 John 3:16 says, “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up His life for us. So, we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.”
Jesus loves you completely and unconditionally. Even in rebellion or ignorance towards God, Jesus loves you, and the Holy Spirit never stops working to help you to trust God the Father. He constantly is revealing to you how He is alive, active, and pursuing you.
You know from the scriptures that you fall short of God every day due to sin. Yet, this doesn’t stop Him from loving you. He never says, “I am done with you,” and casts you aside. “You ran out of chances.” A day is coming, though, where He will separate those who believe and have walked in obedience from those who reject Christ to live their own way; read Revelation 20:11-15.
In the meantime, every believer is called to love like Christ. While God is refining you to become more like His Son, you must love everyone around you who are battling their own issues with sin. You are to follow like Christ. He never gives up. He is committed to you and everyone around you. Thus, you keep on in your marriage, even if things aren’t the way you would like them to be. God is working. Are you letting Him have His way in your marriage? God hates divorce; see Malachi 2:15-16. A damaging ripple-effect occurs because of it.
(*Side note – A marriage with abuse is no place to stay. I am referring to divorces that occur due to an unwillingness to serve, disobedience to God, more self-focused, or even making the decision that says your spouse ran out of chances.)
You don’t quit on your children. Continue to teach and train them despite any rebellion they give back. As my mom once told me, “Keep at it, and things will turn a corner.” I needed this encouragement with my then 4-year-old daughter who liked to push my buttons. She did indeed turn a corner to where she became more obedient to her dad and I.
Stay the course. Keep the faith. Abide in Christ. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Do the (spiritual) work. It all will pay off eventually.
Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, every person deserves love. Even when someone openly disobeys God, you must show love towards them. You can’t accept someone’s disobedient decision, but you are to show love and encourage them to turn to God. You are to speak truth to them that will help them to make a better decision. Their choices are for God to deal with, and not you. Your focus is on your own faith journey where you are learning of God’s love more and more.
As you get ready for Christmas, how can you show the undying, unconditional love of Christ to your spouse, your children, your grandchildren, other family members, neighbors, co-workers, and your church family? Every person, whether they believe or not, deserves to be loved. Be encouraged with the following passage of scripture from 1 John 4:7-12.
“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sin. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us and His love is brought to full expression in us.”
Be the love of Christ today and everyday for God is working in every heart.
Carol J German 