“Sacred Marriage-Love”

(part 2 of 2)

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.”

1 John 4:7

Many people get distraught in their marriages because they equate love with their emotions. When they read in Scripture that we are to “love one another”, “love our spouse” and even “love our enemies” they become discouraged because they cannot seem to manufacture the emotion of love towards that person.

However, when God instructed us to love one another, He did not intend for us to attempt to manufacture an emotion. He intended for us to choose to sacrifice.

“My command is this, ‘Love each other as I have loved you.”

John 15:12

How is it that Jesus Christ demonstrated his love for us?

“Greater love has no one than this, than he lay down his life for his friends.”

John 15:13

As I read this, I am convinced that to “lay down one’s life” has deeper implications than to merely “die” for someone. To lay one’s life down suggests that I am willing in a moment to lay aside my will, my needs, and my desires and choose to sacrifice for another regardless of the personal cost to me.

Marriage provides us with these moments every day. Times I must choose to love when my spouse doesn’t reciprocate love towards me. Times I must choose to love when my spouse’s actions, attitudes and words have hurt me. Times I must choose to love when the “emotional idea” of love has waned and I am left feeling alone and disconnected.

Beyond our relationship with God, there are few relationships, like marriage, that require a 24 hour a day, seven days a week commitment. It would seem that maintaining such a discipline would be impossible. However, Romans 5:5 tells us that:

“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”


Every one of us is created with the capacity to “love”! Marriage provides us with daily opportunities to demonstrate love towards our spouse. In doing so, we draw closer to our spouses and closer to God.


(This marriage series was developed from principles taken from the book “Sacred Marriage” by author Gary Thomas.)


Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com