February 14, 2011
The Roman Rules of Marriage
(In honor of Valentine's Day, Sharon's February devotions will focus on marriage.)
Today's Truth
"[Let your] love be sincere-a real thing" (Romans 12:9, AMP)
Friend To Friend
February is the month we celebrate love, marriage, and sweethearts. But love is more than frilly Valentine's cards, heart-shaped candy, and bouquets of roses or balloons. Sometimes love is commitment to hard work.
If you are married, here are some questions for reflection: Do I love my husband well? Do I adore the man God has given to me? Am I admiring him as a child of God? Am I appreciating him for who he is today instead of what he could be if he lived up to my expectations? Am I giving my heart freely or do I make him feel as though he constantly has to earn my love?
Paul gives us some good advice on how to love one another in Romans 12:9-18.
- Love must be sincere.
- Cling to what is good.
- Be devoted to one another.
- Honor one another above yourself.
- Never be lacking in zeal.
- Be joyful in hope.
- Be patient in affliction.
- Be faithful in prayer.
- Share with God's people who are in need.
- Practice hospitality.
- Bless those who persecute you.
- Rejoice with those who rejoice.
- Mourn with those who mourn.
- Live in harmony with one another.
- Do not be proud.
- Do not be conceited.
- Do not repay anyone evil for evil.
- Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.
- If it is possible, a far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Now take a look at that list. It is easy to think that Paul is talking about our friends or fellow Christians. But if these are the guidelines for loving our friends, how much more are they guidelines for loving our very own husbands? As Ann Landers once said, "Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is a loyalty through good and bad. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses."
I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day as you celebrate your marriage. And if you're not married, celebrate the love you share with friends, family, and your heavenly Bridegroom - Jesus Christ.
Let's Pray
Dear God of Love, I pray that I will love others well today. I pray that You will fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I can overflow Your love to those around me. I know that loving others is Your most important command. Help me to keep that foremost in my mind and in my actions this day.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.
Now It's Your Turn
Go back up to the Roman Rules above. Either write them out or print them off from this devotion. Carry this list in your pocket and glance at them often today. Check up on yourself several times throughout the day to see how you're doing!
If you're brave enough, ask a friend to give you honest feedback on what you do well and what needs improvement.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's devotion. Let's chat at www.facebook.com/sharonjaynes.
More From The Girlfriends
February is the month of love and a wonderful time to contemplate our marriages. Do you want to become the woman of your husband's dreams? The woman who makes him sorry to leave in the morning and eager to come home at night? Then you'll want to read Becoming the Woman of His Dreams: Seven Qualities Every Man Longs For by Sharon Jaynes for an insightful look at the wonderful, unique, and God-ordained role only you have in your husband's life.
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