Tag: US AGAINST THE WORLD: Biblical Love

‘For what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?’ 1 Corinthians 4:7(NLT)

Key Verse: “Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.” 1 Corinthians 13:6

Devotional: 

From David: Love does not delight in evil, which means love does not look for a payback. Love doesn’t hope that something is done wrong so that God can teach them a lesson. Love doesn’t pray that they lose their job so that they can spend more time at home with the kids. Love doesn’t wish evil on your spouse or anyone else in your family, because, ultimately, love is going to make sacrifices without looking for a return.

From Tamela: Love always protects, so anytime my spouse is in harm’s way, I vow to cover him. Love always trusts—and this is hard, particularly when trust has been broken—but love is willing to rebuild even after the walls have been torn down. Love always believes in the best version of their spouse. Love always encourages their spouse to believe in themselves. Love always hopes that tomorrow will be a brighter today, and love always perseveres. On the good days and on the bad days, love is there to stay.

from US AGAINST THE WORLD: Biblical Love by David & Tamela Mann

‘Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.’ 1 Corinthians 13:4-7(NLT)

Key Verse: “…it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” 1 Corinthians 13:5b 

Devotional: 

From David: Love is not easily angered. As a child, I saw how men mistreated my mother. I saw irritable men take their anger out on her. But that isn’t love. Love expresses itself in a loving way. Now that I’m married, I’ve learned to say what needs to be said, let go of the anger, and enjoy the day. I’ve learned not to let one day turn into a bad life. When I am too angry to communicate on my own, I use my lifelines, whether a counselor, a pastor, or a trusted third-party listener. I now know it’s important to get to the core of my anger so I am not making my wife uncomfortable.

From Tamela: Here’s a tough one! Love keeps no record of wrongdoing. Another version of this scripture says, “Love . . . doesn’t keep score” (The Message). I can’t speak for all ladies, but many of us are guilty of tabulating in our heads how many times our husbands said something and didn’t keep his word. Sometimes we can even fall into the trap of guilting our husbands for the things we said we forgave them for. But I’ve learned to stop keeping score. If anything, I would rather keep score of the good things David does instead of rehashing the bad things. The way I see it, God loves us unconditionally, and if God can forget all the wrong we’ve done to him, surely I can do the same for my husband.

from US AGAINST THE WORLD: Biblical Love by David & Tamela Mann

‘Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.’ 1 Corinthians 13:4-7(NLT)

Key Verse: “It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking…” 1 Corinthians 13:5a

Devotional: 

From David: Love does not dishonor others. Sure, Tam has made me upset before, but when she does, I don’t run to her family and friends to tell them every little thing she did that bothered me. Married or not, I don’t believe anyone wants to feel dishonored. How much more should a wife feel honored by her husband? I always remind myself that God allowed me and Tam to get married for a reason. God put us together as a reflection of his love. When I honor my wife, it builds a stronger relationship between us, and it pleases God. For example, whenever I speak at an event, I make sure to introduce my spouse to the group. I would never knowingly embarrass Tam. I honor her. So I always try to make sure that at the end of every day, she knows that I love her, and I want my children to see honor in our marriage as well.

From Tamela: Love is not self-seeking. Amen! My job as David’s wife is to be considerate of his needs. Sure, I will have needs. But my goal is to spend time meeting his needs and trust that he is doing the same for me. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. As I am focused on him, David is focused on me. When we go out on dates, I’m not just thinking about what I would enjoy. I’m also thinking about what he would enjoy as well. In your marriage I encourage you to do the same. If both of you are trying to outdo the other with love and kindness, there will always be joy and mutual respect there. Remember, you are one flesh. Love and serve your spouse the same way you would your own needs and desires.

from US AGAINST THE WORLD: Biblical Love by David & Tamela Mann

‘Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.’ 1 Corinthians 13:4-7(NLT)

Key Verse: “…it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” 1 Corinthians 13:4b

Devotional: 

From Tamela: Love does not envy. To me that means that I should never look at something David has and wish that I had it. Why? Because the two of us are one. If he can manage the money better, I won’t envy that—I will celebrate that. If he can articulate his words better than me, I see it like this: every time people compliment him, they are complimenting me, because we are one.

From David: Love does not boast. I don’t know if you’ve ever met a man who does this, but I know many people who brag about every little thing they do for their spouse. I bought her those shoes. I cleaned the house for her. But when you love your spouse, I believe you never need to brag about what you do or how you love, because when I love Tam correctly, she will boast for me, without me. Tam doesn’t throw it in my face if she does something for me. And husbands who love like Jesus don’t need a lot of accolades every time they do something nice for their spouse. When you’re in love, you do what you do because your heart wants to do it. Love does not boast.

From Tamela: Love is not proud. You’d be surprised how many marriages are suffering because one spouse is too prideful to ask the other spouse for help. I ask David for help all the time. When we are recording in the studio, I turn to him and ask him if I did a good job. I think it’s so important to remember that two married people are both a part of a team. God uniquely designed me to accompany David in life’s journey because God knew David would need some assistance. But the same is true for me. David helps me to be better, and when he helps me, it’s a sign of his love toward me. I don’t see pride when David walks in the room. I see a partner. I see a cheerleader. I can be naked and unashamed with him because, flaws and all, I know he loves me. I’ve also found that the older we get, the easier it is to let go of pride. After a while you just start telling the truth. That’s what love does.

from US AGAINST THE WORLD: Biblical Love by David & Tamela Mann

‘Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.’ 1 Corinthians 13:4-7(NLT)

Key Verse: “Love is patient, love is kind…” 1 Corinthians 13:4a

Devotional: 

From Tamela: Patience is the first way to know that love is present. As I said earlier, many people are attracted by instant gratification, but when you are patient, you are willing to wait until your spouse is ready. You won’t rush them to become something or someone that they aren’t ready to become. You’ll wait on the things that take a little more time for them. You won’t demand that everything be perfect immediately. Love allows you to walk with your spouse as they grow and mature. Love helps you to see something in your spouse worth waiting for. When you really love your spouse, it will help you to see your own shortcomings before you impatiently bring up theirs.

From David: Love is also kind. By kind, that means I must speak to Tam in a manner that honors her. I learned a long time ago that a soft answer turns away wrath, so I speak to her the way I want her to speak to me—lovingly, thoughtfully, and softly. The question is, are you kind to your spouse? Would he call you gentle with your words? Would she say that you are a safe place for her? Kindness is a discipline that must be developed within us, every day, on purpose.

from US AGAINST THE WORLD: Biblical Love by David & Tamela Mann

‘Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.’ 1 Corinthians 13:4-7(NLT)

Key Verse: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)

Devotional: 

From David: When I think about my love for Tamela, the Scripture that comes to mind is 1 Corinthians 13:4–7. We use these verses as the litmus test to make sure we are loving one another the way God wants us to love.

Marriage is a commitment to love your spouse for a lifetime. There are no vacation days, summers off, weekend visits, or refunds. When I said “I do”, I committed to being there in every situation and season. Honestly, love doesn’t usually show up in those first few weeks or months when everybody is on their best behavior. People talk about love at first sight, but love doesn’t come easily or fast. Love is a habit that we learn and grow into. Loving someone is about sacrifice and selflessness. True love will still be there after hair starts falling out or when the extra weight starts packing on. True love can survive the test of time because it is about seeing, serving, and choosing to uplift your spouse. Real love shines brightest when the lights are off.

These verses introduce fourteen characteristics of love. When I say, “I love you, Tam,” that means I am willing to demonstrate all fourteen of these characteristics to my wife. To me, this is what godly love looks like. 

from US AGAINST THE WORLD: Biblical Love by David & Tamela Mann