Family Blog

What the Bible Says About Love

There are a million different definitions of what love is.

Some say love is what makes you happy. Others say love is finding your soul mate. Still others say love is finding someone to make your life complete.

But that’s not quite what the Bible says…

We’re told in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

That means that love isn’t about being served…it’s about serving someone else! It’s about putting them first. Love is showing patience and selflessness and perseverance to your spouse.

So don’t look to your spouse to fulfill all of your needs. That’s what God is there for! Instead, love them well by looking for new ways to serve them and care for them each and every day.

How to Keep Your Work in Perspective

It’s all too easy to find our identity in our work.

We work all day every day, putting our heart and soul and sweat and tears into it. And soon, our meetings and deadlines and schedules take over our lives.

Now, there’s nothing innately wrong with work. In fact, God created work to be a good thing. But when we allow work to define who we are, disaster is sure to follow. Why? Because failure is inevitable. As humans, we’re bound to make mistakes. And all of a sudden, a missed deadline and a reprimand from our boss leave us feeling inadequate.

Instead, God wants us to find our identity in Him. 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession…” In other words, we are the apple of God’s eye! And there is nothing we could do to ever change that.

So go out and work with excellence this week…but don’t allow your failures (or your successes!) change how you view and value yourself!

Becoming Your Spouse’s Biggest Fan

We could all use a little more in encouragement in our lives.

We’re constantly facing disappointments, failures, and letdowns. So when a word of encouragement comes along, it can go a lonnng way.

For those of you who are married, a huge part of your role as a spouse is encouraging your partner. You’re responsible for pouring love and affirmation into their life. So what are some simple ways to do this?

By reminding them of who they are in Christ. By writing them a quick note of encouragement. And by being their biggest fan in life! 

1 Peter 4:8 says, “Above all, love each other deeply, for love covers over a multitude of sins.” So we want to challenge you to love your spouse deeply this week by encouraging them as they go out into the world!

Your Daily Dose of Courage

Oftentimes, we fall into the trap of thinking courage is meant for just superheroes.

We believe courage belongs to the risk takers, the adventurers, and those who are bold enough to escape the ordinary.

But the truth is that we all need courage. You and me. Every day of our lives. 

We need courage to face our kids’ teachers when we’re called in for a conference. We need courage to step into the doctor’s office and hear our aging parent’s diagnosis. We need courage to simply get up and face another day at work with an unfair boss.

But where do we get courage? In Deuteronomy 31:6, we’re told, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” In other words, our courage comes from the knowledge that God is always with us!

So be courageous as you finish up this week, knowing that God is with you no matter what.

The Key to Making Big Decisions

Each and every day, we face decisions. We face small decisions like what to eat, what to wear, and what movies to watch. But then there are big decisions: decisions like where to send our kids to school, how to handle marital conflicts, and what church to join.

So how do we make wise choices when it comes to big issues in our lives?

Proverbs 15:22 says, “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.”

In other words, God never meant for us to make decisions on our own. First and foremost, He wants us to turn to Him for insight. He wants us to pray through our decisions in order to align our hearts with His will.

Secondly, God wants us to seek counsel from people around us. We all need Christian fellowship–men and women who will speak truth into our lives. So this week, we want to encourage you to take some time and think through who those 2 or 3 people are in your life. Maybe it’s your spouse or your small group leader or your boss. Whoever it may be, always be sure to pray and then seek their counsel to make your big decisions your best decisions.

How to Stop the Little White Lies

Let’s admit it: we all tell the occasional little white lie.

It can happen all too easily when we aren’t in the mood to help out. Or when we aren’t quite done with a project, but are close enough. Or when we know our spouse wants something said, but don’t really mean it. Or when we’re trying to teach our kids to live up to a higher standard than we do.

And we justify those little white lies so easily. We can’t imagine them ever becoming a real issue. But this is when we’re in the most danger: when we refuse to recognize the gravity of these lies. Because it’s not long before our little white lies begin to build and build and build into big lies.

Exodus 20:16 says “Thou shall not lie.” That’s it. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Never does God condone lying, even when the circumstances are tough.

So this week, we want to encourage you to stop justifying your lies and rationalizing your way around the truth. Simply be honest with each and every word you say!