Romancing Your Spouse-Days 34-36: Protection

Scripture:
"4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails."
 --1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (from the NIV: New International
Version of the Bible)

Our Focus:
This weekend we begin our discussion of verse 7, "Love ... always protects."

Question for Reflection:
Is the love in your relationship protected?

Discussion: The passage of Scripture above states that "Love always protects," which is true if we don't allow outside influences to enter into our romantic lives.

Homework:
Over the course of this weekend, think about the time you spend with your spouse. Make an honest assessment about your time commitment and determine if you need to carve out more.

Protect the time you spend with your spouse. Are there activities, or events that you could sacrifice in an effort to increase your quality time together? If so, make that sacrifice and thus, add protection to your romantic life.
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Thanks for reading this devotional.

Please feel free to share and pass along to others.

Have a blessed weekend!
--Steve Kendall

Romancing Your Spouse-Day 20: Pride

Romancing Your Spouse-Day 20


Topic: Pride

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud."
--1 Corinthians 13:4 (from the NIV: New International Version of the Bible)



Question for Reflection: Do you ever take the love of your spouse for granted?

Pride:
When I think of the passage above, "...it does not boast, it is not proud,"
I remind myself to never brag, or take the love of my spouse for granted. As we approach Thanksgiving Day, I'm especially thankful I have a wife that I'm in love with and can honor with romance.

Love is something we really shouldn't take for granted in this fallen world.

For example, last night, as I drove my wife home from work, she noticed a small sports car on my bumper. "Oh, my goodness, they're trying to go around us!" said my wife. I didn't want the driver to go around me as I could see oncoming traffic approaching.

I pulled over to the side of the narrow, two lane road, and let the extremely aggressive driver speed ahead, up a short hill and into a parking lot... turns out, the driver lives in the same building as us.

The driver quickly parked and exited the car. My wife was surprised to see that the driver was a young woman. I wasn't. I had encountered her before...

One morning a few months ago, a beautiful, sunny morning, I recall-- while leaving the parking lot, there was a nervous driver ahead of me trying to make a turn. The traffic coming down the hill was a bit heavy and I could tell the driver was nervous about making a quick turn. Instead, she waited patiently for a break in traffic.

Well, the aggressive driver behind me honked her horn and did it several times and made the nervous driver flinch. As I looked at the angry driver in my mirror, I wondered, "How could someone be so impatient this early and on such a beautiful morning?" We weren't waiting very long, but just the fact that this driver was in such a bad mood at the outset of the day was troubling to me.

Long story short, I wonder about the aggressive driver and the role love plays in her life. If someone truly loved her and provided her with romance, would she be so angry both at the beginning and end of her work day?

I told my wife I would say something to the woman about her driving the next time the opportunity presented itself.  My wise wife told me to pray about it first, which I have now done and will rely on the Holy Spirit when I see the driver again. You never know what's going on in someone's life. I get the sense this woman is troubled and may need help. For now, the Holy Spirit is directing me to ask her, "Are you okay? Do you need any help?  I've been praying for you."

Homework:
For the remainder of the week, thank God several times a day for your spouse and the love you share.
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Thanks for reading this devotional.
Please feel free to share and pass along to others.

Have a blessed day!

--Steve Kendall

Excellent Sermons about Love

The pastor of the church I attend, Dr. Lucius M. Dalton, of Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, is offering an excellent series of messages entitled, "Loving Others As Christ Loves Us."

You can listen to the series at http://www.mountmoriahchurch.org

Look for "Sermons" followed by "Sermons Series" you can also find a complete list of recent sermons at http://www.archive.org/bookmarks/MountMoriahBaptistChurch

Have a blessed day!

Steve

The Fruit of the Spirit: Love

Bible Study Café Devotions – for the week of July 20, 2009

The Fruit of the Spirit

I heard part of a sermon last night on the radio in which the preacher recommended to stay grounded in the Holy Spirit, one should read the “Fruit of the Spirit” each day until you have it memorized: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” --Galatians 5:22-23 NIV Bible

Today, I will focus on “love.” I will tell someone today that I love them—preferably someone I have not told before.

Have a blessed day, because I love you and so does He!

Your Brother in Christ,

Steve Kendall