But the fruit of the Spirit is love…. Galatians 5:22 (KJV)

The Holy Spirit’s love is a fruit that is deposited inside us as believers. Like any fruit, it grows and matures. The more we love, the more we grow and produce this fruit. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can grow and have supernatural relationships, especially as husbands and wives. Our marriages are from God and we can glorify Him through them. The Lord gave me an acronym for the word LOVE that can serve to remind us how to have rich marriages, full of love.

L

• Look: Look actively for ways to bless and give to each other.

• Listen: Listen more than you talk in order to know one another.

• Learn: Learn about each other. This takes a lifetime and involves a conscious effort.

O

• Openness: Be open and share your heart’s desires- your feelings, needs, wants.

• Options: Try new things. Don’t let your relationship get in a rut. Find new options for things to do together and ways to relate to each other.

• Oneness: Marriage is the process of becoming one, so be patient with one another as you merge your different personalities, backgrounds, and experiences together.

V

• Vision: See your spouse the way God sees them, and in your mind’s eye, see your relationship thriving. Envision it to make it reality.

• Variety: This is the spice of life, so spice things up a little and surprise your mate with gifts, spontaneous outings and activites, etc.

• Victory: Believe for victory in your marriage. As you love unselfishly, you will have a victorious relationship that can overcome any storm.

E

• Expectations: Don’t have unrealistic or unreasonable expectations of your spouse or of your marriage. Yet, expect the best for each other and work together to see it manifest.

• Energy: It takes energy and effort for any relationship to work. Don’t be lazy, but instead do your part, and even more, to make your marriage succeed.

• Experience: You will have many experiences together. Don’t focus on the bad ones and let them steal your relationship. Also, the more you experience God together in your marriage, the better the results. You’ll have a long-lasting, happily-ever-after, loving relationship that others will want to emulate.

Love is the foundation and center of a healthy, happy marriage. God is love, As we keep God and His love first, we will see amazing results.