Introduction:
Love is a wonderful thing.
The bible has much to say concerning love and marriage. As believers, our understanding of love must be defined by that truth. Willful disobedience to the truth leads to confusion, chaos, and corruption.
STUDY ONE: Looking for Love
READ:
1 Let mutual love continue.
2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.
3 Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured.
4 Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. – Hebrews 13:1-4 NRSV
DECIDE:
Love is a verb. It is unfortunate that some homes know little or nothing of genuine love and care. I have known those who never heard the words, “I love you.” spoken by their parents. There are others who have heard the words but seen very little action to illustrate that love. Then there are those who have heard the words, but received abuse and neglect. This sinful world in which we live is filled with examples of the tragic absence of genuine love. It has been replaced by a counterfeit love, steeped with sensuality and misguided intimacy.
In this passage, genuine love is understood as the natural outflow of Christian community and family. The “mutual love” mentioned here is literally translated “brotherly love.” This mutual love is an identifier among disciples of Jesus. Jesus even said that the world will recognize His disciples for the love they have one for another. The writer then extends to the practical applications of genuine love: hospitality- especially for strangers, care for those imprisoned and tortured for their faith, and the sanctity of marriage.
It is interesting that the marital problems, particularly the problem of unfaithfulness, existed at a level that called for the New Testament writers to address it multiple times. Promiscuity was a regular feature of the Greek and Roman religious practices. It is not surprising, then, that the early Church had to address these issues.
Love…hospitality…care and concern for the persecuted…preservation of the marriage covenant. These are great things to model at home.
DECLARE:
The entertainment industry takes aim, quite often, at marriage and the sanctity of marriage. As leaders within our homes, it is imperative that we model and find those teachable moments to reiterate God’s design for marriage and family relationships. Husbands and fathers must be intentional to model genuine affection. Wives and mothers must be intentional to model the same. The messages that often catch our children’s attention in the media are, at best, mildly inappropriate, or, at worst, pornographic.
We must declare in word and deed what genuine love is.
DEVOTE:
Depending on age and maturity, take some time this week to talk about “true love” and what it means. You might even ask your kids, “How do you know that Mom and Dad love each other?”
PRAY:
Lord, you have demonstrated Your love for us in your actions. Your sacrifice on the cross is a model of the unselfish love You desire to see lived out in our lives. Help us to see the opportunities and seize on them. Whether it be showing hospitality to strangers, showing care and concern for our brethren who are suffering for their faith, or modeling genuine love in marriage, empower us to make it so. For Jesus sake, Amen.
Study Two: Love Binds Together
READ:
14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
– Colossians 3:14 NRSV
DECIDE:
Most marriages begin with an irrational fantasy that conflict will not enter the house. In any relationship, conflict will come. Be prepared. Decide, today, to clothe yourself with love. Shed the selfishness. Throw out the pride. The surrounding context of this verse has both a general and specific application. As believers, we are bound together, first, in faith, hope and love. That is not just for the neighbors, strangers and enemies we deal with on a daily basis. That is especially for the home. Conflict, discipline…just the every day interaction we have with one another as spouses and family requires us to clothe ourselves in love.
DECLARE:
Paul comes back to love, over and over. He points to the marvelous grace of God, ultimately expressed in the price Jesus paid on the cross, as the empowering force within us, by the Holy Spirit. It is love that covers over a multitude of sins. It is love that casts out fear of judgment. It is love that will solidify our relations and unify us in spirit. True love is the binding agent for families and homes of any expression. It’s time to declare an end to the warzone that is often present in our homes and enter a season of love that will transform the way we talk to one another…the way we touch one another…every interaction will be transformed.
DEVOTE:
Why do we change our clothes? dirty, uncomfortable, they do not fit, etc.
Clothing ourselves with love…what does that mean?
What does perfect harmony mean? What does it look like at home?
PRAY:
Lord, God, almighty…You alone have loved perfectly. Teach us and empower us to love one another in a way that binds us together as a family. Help us to remember the everlasting love that pursues us when we are lost and undone. Help us to practice that sort of love when we are dealing with one another. In Jesus name. Amen.