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Values for a Secure Marriage Grounded in Faith

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Marriage is a sacred covenant established by God Himself, designed to reflect the union between Christ and His Church. The significance of building a strong and lasting marriage cannot be overstated. It is through the bond of marriage that couples are called to grow together in love, faith, and mutual support, becoming catalysts for each other's spiritual growth and transformation. In this post, we thumb over key elements in building a marriage that honors God and stands the test of time.

Submit to One Another Out of Reverence for Christ

Prioritize God in Your Marriage: Prioritizing God in your marriage is paramount, as it establishes a strong foundation built on faith, love, and spiritual unity. When God is at the center of your relationship, His wisdom and guidance shape your decisions, strengthen your bond, and infuse your marriage with purpose and meaning.

  • Start each day with prayer together as a couple.
  • Attend church and engage in spiritual activities together.
  • Seek guidance from teachings on marriage and relationships.

Strengthen Communication and Transparency: Healthy communication and transparency are essential pillars of a thriving marriage, fostering trust, understanding, and emotional intimacy between partners. By openly sharing thoughts, feelings, and concerns, couples build deeper connections and navigate challenges with empathy and respect, laying the groundwork for lasting harmony and mutual support.

  • Practice active listening and empathy towards your spouse. 
  • Schedule regular times for open and honest communication. 
  • Be transparent with each other about your thoughts, feelings, and concerns.

Amplify Unconditional Love and Forgiveness: Cultivating unconditional love and forgiveness in your marriage creates a safe and nurturing environment where grace and compassion abound. By embodying Christ-like forgiveness and embracing unconditional love, couples can overcome conflicts, heal wounds, and strengthen their bond, fostering a relationship grounded in grace and mutual acceptance.

  • Embrace the Biblical concept of agape love in your marriage. 
  • Practice forgiveness as Christ forgave us.
  • Let go of grudges and past mistakes and shift focus toward reconciliation and growth.

Serve and Support Each Other: The importance of serving and supporting your spouse lies in embodying the selfless love modeled by Christ, fostering mutual respect and appreciation within the marriage. By prioritizing your partner's needs above your own and offering unwavering support through life's challenges, you not only strengthen your bond but also create a foundation of trust and unity that sustains the relationship through every season.

  • Look for opportunities to serve your spouse selflessly. 
  • Encourage and uplift each other in times of need. 
  • Work together as a team to overcome challenges and achieve common goals.

Prioritize Quality Time Together: Prioritizing quality time as a couple strengthens the bond between partners and enhances intimacy in the marriage. By setting aside dedicated moments for meaningful connection and shared experiences, couples deepen their understanding of each other, create cherished memories, and nurture a relationship that thrives on mutual love and companionship.

  • Schedule regular date nights and meaningful activities as a couple.  
  • Disconnect from distractions and focus on each other during quality time. 
  • Make time for shared interests and hobbies that strengthen your bond.

Establish Boundaries and Commitments: Establishing boundaries and keeping commitments in your marriage is crucial for fostering trust, security, and respect between partners. By clearly defining expectations and honoring promises, couples create a framework for healthy communication, mutual respect, and emotional safety, sustaining a strong and resilient relationship built on trust and accountability.

  • Set healthy boundaries to protect your marriage from external influences. 
  • Agree on mutual commitments and priorities within your relationship.
  • Honor your vows and remain faithful to each other in all circumstances.

Seek Guidance and Support: Sometimes seeking guidance and support for your marriage is vital for navigating challenges and nurturing growth as a couple. Whether through counseling, mentorship, or spiritual guidance, reaching out for help demonstrates humility and a commitment to the health and longevity of your relationship, allowing you to draw wisdom and encouragement from trusted sources as you journey together.

  • Surround yourselves with a supportive community of fellow believers.
  • Seek counseling or mentorship from trusted Christian leaders or couples.
  • Be open to seeking professional help when needed to address marital issues.

Love Always Protects, Always Trusts, Always Hopes, Always Perseveres

Building a strong and lasting marriage requires intentional effort, dedication, and reliance on God's guidance. By prioritizing God at the center of the relationship, fostering healthy communication, cultivating unconditional love and forgiveness, serving and supporting each other, establishing boundaries and commitments, seeking guidance and support, and prioritizing quality time together, couples can lay a solid foundation for a marriage that continually grows in love, faith, and unity. 

-Torrance Church of Christ

27 Bible Verses For Valentine's Day

Love is a prevailing theme throughout the Bible. The Bible teaches us that the most important approach to take in life is to approach it with love. We are commanded to respond to and interact with others and situations wearing love-lensed glasses. Jesus teaches us that loving one another is the greatest commandment. Furthermore, God’s love for us is felt throughout His doctrine. 

In observation of this upcoming Valentines Day, we thought it would not only be fun but also insightful to collect and share Bible verses that highlight His resounding message of love. As an added bonus, we’ve included quotes about love with respect to the Christian lifestyle. 

The Verses

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

-Ephesians 4:2

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Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

-1 Peter 4:8

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Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

-1 John 4:8

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 How beautiful you are and how pleasing, my love, with your delights!

-Song of Solomon 7:6

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Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

-Romans 12:9

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Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.

-Proverbs 10:12

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How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful!  Your eyes are doves.

-Song of Solomon 1:15

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Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

-Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

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Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

-Proverbs 3:3

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How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much more pleasing is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume more than any spice!

-Song of Solomon 4:10

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Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.

-Mark 10:9

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Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

-Romans 13:10

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There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

-1 John 4:18

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Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves

-Philippians 2:3

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 Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.

-Psalm 85:10

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Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

-1 Corinthians 13:4-7

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However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

-Ephesians 5:33

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You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you.

-Song of Solomon 4:7

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Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

-Romans 12:10

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We love because He first loved us.

-1 John 4:19

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And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

-1 Corinthians 13:13

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 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth- for your love is more delightful than wine.

-Song of Solomon 1:2

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God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 

-1 John 4:16

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A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.

-Proverbs 31:10

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Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away.

-Song of Solomon 8:7

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And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

-Colossians 3:14

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Do everything in love.

-1 Corinthians 16:14

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The Quotes

Never procrastinate in showing love. Don’t delay. Don’t put it off. Do it now. 

Rick Warren

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Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies. 

Mother Teresa

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Being loved is life’s second greatest blessing; loving is the greatest. 

Jack Hyles

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Real love, the Bible says, instinctively desired permanence. 

Timothy Keller

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When you are filled with love, and you are busy loving, you have no time to fear. 

Michael Caputo

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When couples love God first, they love each other better. 

Brela Delahoussaye

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Do not waste time bothering whether you love your neighbor; act as if you did. 

C.S. Lewis

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The measure of love is to live without measuring.

Saint Augustine

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When God brought the first man his spouse, He brought him not just a lover but the friend his heart has been seeking. 

Timothy Keller

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When God made a woman, He took her from the rib of the man. One function of the rib is to protect the heart. In the same way, women should protect her man’s heart, careful not to use words or do things to hurt it. 

Unknown

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The more we love, the more love we have to offer. So it is with God’s love for us. It is inexhaustible. 

Mary C. Neal

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If we claim to love God, but don’t love each other, our love is nothing and meaningless. 

David Alley

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Faith makes all things possible. Love makes all things easy. 

Dwight L. Moody

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The best use of life is love. The best expression of love is time. The best time to love is now. 

Rick Warren

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The overriding character trait of Jesus is love, and the entire Gospel story is woven with love. Sometimes it’s not easy, and oftentimes it requires sacrifice, but it’s when we love that we are the most like Jesus. 

Steven Furtick

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As God by creation made two of the one, so again by marriage, He made one of the two. 

Thomas Adams

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Where love is, God is. 

Henry Drummond

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Think on these two powerful points: Lean on God in every situation and love others as unselfishly as you possibly can.

Joyce Meyer

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For instance, God teaches us to love by putting some unlovely people around us. It takes no character to love people who are lovely and loving you. 

Rick Warren

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Love is worthless unless it acts out, unless it’s expressed in deed and behavior. 

Dr. David Jeremiah

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Intense love does not measure, it just gives. 

Mother Teresa

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Love has a quality that it becomes stronger as the time passes. 

Adam Green

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To Love another person is to see the peace of God. 

Victor Hugo

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Love is the doorway through which the human soul passes from selfishness to service.

Jack Hyles

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Love pays attention. Love listens to the fears and the doubts of others and treats them with respect. Love accepts others the way Jesus accepts us. 

Rick Warren

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Love is not only something you feel, it is something you do. 

David Wilkerson

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To love someone means to see him as God intended him. 

Fyodor Dostoevsky

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Lastly

Spread His love by adding a verse or two to Valentine's cards for a special someone, a friend, or anyone else you feel inspired to uplift. Ruminate on the verses and their meanings. Let His word guide you and lead you down a path of unconditional love. 

- Torrance Church of Christ