What Makes Love Last?
What Makes Love Last?
by Pastor Gregory Ross & Reverend Beatrice E. Ross
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7 (NASB)
What makes love last?...
Having been in love with each other for nearly forty years, we have some suggestions that have helped us to make our love last….
First, you must be in love from the onset of the marriage. You do not grow ‘in love’, your love grows throughout the years.
Always try to make her happy. If you have a good woman she will reciprocate. Making her happy goes beyond recognizing her during the holidays, birthdays, anniversaries. Make her happy just because. Happiness is centered around what is happening. So, if your wife is not happy, try to figure out why and work on how to turn the situation around.
Making him happy may mean praying for the things that concern him and your relationship, giving him space, quietly sitting next to him, riding in the car to keep him company and letting him know without words he does not have to go it alone, appearing with his favorite soft drink and chocolate turtles, (the caramel pecan kind), or making his favorite homecooked meal. You may not always bat a thousand, but you will periodically get to first base.
Being patient and kind is also important. No one is perfect, but that does not mean you are not perfect for someone. We realize that if we dwell on the imperfections of the relationship, then it will thrive negatively. You work on the imperfections to make them insignificant. (Who really cares which way the toilet paper is hung). If a person accepts the faults of the another, the marriage can survive, if it is without physical or mental abuse.
Finally, this probably should have been first, make God the center of the relationship. It is never too late if the husband and wife agree. God can speak in the silence better than we can speak out loud. He can see you through darkness when times are tough. In addition, He will carry the couple when the weight of the relationship becomes too hard to bear.
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