Notes of Faith September 11, 2024
Laughter Through Tiers
Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance.
Colossians 3:12-13, NIV
During his speech at the wedding reception, a groom wiped his eyes and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s been a very emotional day. Even the wedding cake is in tiers.”
Most marriages have their share of tears, but we must determine that hardships will only bring us closer to the one we love. It’s a decision we make. When a couple faces emotional times, they can turn to the Lord and lean on one another.
The Bible says marital love is modeled after the love Christ feels for His Bride—the Church (Ephesians 5:25). Christ doesn’t love us because of our merits. He knows we’re sinners. He loves us just because He loves us (Deuteronomy 7:7-8). He gave Himself for us, unworthy as we are. In the same way, the love of Christ within us seeks to serve, not to be served.
Our love in marriage must embrace all the faults and failures we bring to the relationship. Christ loves us as we are. Ask God to enable you to love your spouse as Christ loves you. That’s a love that never ends.
A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers.
Ruth Graham
Col 3:12-21
12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
18 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. 20 Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.
NASU
During counseling of couples desiring to be married I ask them why they want to be married and the usual answer is, “I love them”. But when I ask them to define that love they stumble and stammer for an answer. Love does carry forgiveness within it. The Scriptures say that God is love and His love displays the greatest of sacrifice, therefore, I have shared with these couples that if they want to have the closest of relationships with one another and with God, it will involve self-sacrifice.
Let us love, willing to forgive and sacrifice ourselves for the needs of others.
Pastor Dale