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. I Corinthians 13:4-7 (New Living Translation, NLT)

When we first met that special someone, we were all giddy and everything was rosy. We found them attractive and wanted to spend every moment with them. But, love is not based in physical attraction only, and feelings of romance will change over time. Love, in its simplest form, could be defined as commitment.

When you marry someone you commit before God to stick with them in good times and bad time. You commit to honor them and love them until death parts you. That is a covenant before God and should not be taken lightly. Commitment is what makes love last.

Time will change the way you both look physically. Time will change your circumstances and how you see things. Time will change you both, but it should not change your commitment to one another.

Yes, those butterflies you feel when your relationship is new is wonderful and I am not criticizing the feeling of being “in love.” We can have that feeling, or feelings close to it, as long as we commit to viewing our spouse as the truly amazing gift God gave us. Our relationships don’t have to become stale and boring.

But, life is not all roses and violins. And we must remember that love is not just a feeling. Love is comforting one another when sickness attacks us, and standing in faith together for healing. Love is understanding that our mate may not feel like being intimate after a hard day. Love is pushing through times of uncertainty together and being strong for each other. Love is working through the pain of loss together. Love is encouraging each other when we face obstacles. Love is picking up socks, washing dishes, and taking out the trash. Love is pulling together to raise a family. And love is keeping our spouse as the most important person in our life- after the Lord.

Love is amazing- it was given to us by God, who Himself is love. He shows His love to us by His undying commitment to us, and we should show the same to our husband or wife.