The Month of Love (L)

Using the acrostic V-A-L-E-N-T-I-N-E, here’s some ideas to help make this a blessed month of growth and change in biblical love. (Click here for V-A)

L – Love your spouse unconditionally.

Love is an action verb, yet it is not dependent upon you to love unconditionally.

As a born again believer living the Christ-life, we surrender to the Trinity to love unconditionally as we ought.

God is love. This is Who He is (1 John 4:8,16), therefore God the Father is the source of true, authentic love (1 John 4:7). Since God abides in us (1 John 4:13-16), His love is manifested towards us (1 John 4:9) and through us (1 John 4:11) by His Spirit (1 John 4:13).

Christ loves us. John 15:9 says, “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.” Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus, “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19). Since we are crucified with Christ, and therefore live, Christ, Who is love and loves us, lives His life out of us (Galatians 2:20).

The Holy Spirit produces genuine love through you (Galatians 5:22-23). And, along with love, at the same time, comes “joy, peace, patience/longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

How does this apply to our marriages? What does unconditional love look like?

• We place no expectations upon one another.
• We give without expecting anything in return.
• We love not because of who and what our spouse is or does, but because of Who dwells in us.
• We forgive and hold no grudges.
• We pray together daily and share what God is teaching us through His Word.
• We live out 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Husbands, it begins with us (Ephesians 5:25). Wives, surrender to Him Who dwells in you (Ephesians 5:18, 21). No where in Scripture are we exhorted to love ourselves before we can love others. All you need to love others lives in you.

God is able, and He is faithful to His promises. Trust and rest in Him.