Learn to love

Written by Alfred Ofori Agyemang.

Love never fails. (NIV) 1 Corinthians 13:8

Love is the cardinal pillar upon which everything under the sun rests. Marriage which is the genesis of the home is even more than a sacred covenant. If our hearts are attuned to what God is teaching us, our marriage and our homes can help us learn sacrificial love, forgiveness, servanthood, and perseverance. Marriage is a sacred tool that helps us grow spiritually in ways nothing else can compare to.

According to the biblical accounts from the book of Genesis (Genesis 1:27), God is the only creator of mankind. God created humanity in his own image. One image divinity instilled in humanity is to love and be loved. Every person has the ability to love others and can also be loved. Love is the only life wire that connects individuals to create a happy home.

Although all humanity has the potential to show and receive love, it does not happen by accident. In the same way that exercising builds and develops our bodies, love builds and strengthens our abilities to experience and live out God’s love. As much effort and determination are put into exercising, so is to love. Love must be planned, prepared and delivered at home to make the home habitable and to also promote godliness.

Love is clearly put to the test within the habitat of married life. We must learn how to love and then learn it over and over again. Family love must be cultivated and watered before it can bear fruits for outsiders to see. Hate is always ready to spring forth like a wounded snake, but a loving response must be practiced time and again. One of the key ways we love our spouses and children is to give them respect, even when we know their deepest flaws and feel they don’t deserve much respect.

We are called to love and honour our family in spite of their fallibility. Although it is human and natural to condescend or to be critical and judgmental, God calls us to love one another instead. Because we are each made in God’s image. Respecting our spouses and children goes far beyond just refraining from mistreating them. Loving someone is active, not passive. We show that we honour and love people by complimenting them, encouraging their gifts/talents, and expressing appreciation for who they are and what they do and being ready to help them correct their shortcomings. May God help us all to love our families. Amen!

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