Having only been married all of seven years, I do not at all feel like I have any authority in writing on the topics of love and matrimony. I honestly feel like my husband and I were married last week sometimes, and other times I feel like we’ve always been married and there was hardly ever a before “us” moment in our lives. Not too long ago, I had a friend ask me for relationship advice since she was embarking on her very first long-term relationship. I was at a loss for words. I couldn’t put together a single sentence that wasn’t some sort of cliché Hallmark-card trope. “Communication is key.” Now this is pretty good advice in the long run, but I still feel pretty uncomfortable giving it out, as if I’m talking from experience of a perfect marriage. I guess what I’ve come to terms with is that love in any marriage isn’t perfect. And maybe if we took a deep breath and acknowledged that, then we could overcome a lot of the bound-to-eventually-happen heartbreaks that come with loving anyone. Same goes for rearing children. There are no perfect parents who can give perfect love, even to their ever-so-perfect children (who also aren’t actually perfect).
But, without a doubt, I know we were created to love. Our Creator created us in his very likeness and image. And from front to back, Genesis to Revelation, creation to end times, the Bible is an endless story of a devoted Creator seeking out the children he created, promising us he will never forsake us to the world we broke.
His Love is Permanent.
Endless chapters of a loving and perfect God pursuing us through all our darkest choices and all our shameful sins to show us his mercy and grace.
His Love is Persevering.
A story of a thousand years that finally reaches the ultimate act of his unfailing love, selflessly sacrificing his only Son to save us from our much-deserved death.
His Love is Protective.
A beautiful, poetic story of an absolute perfect love. A story that isn’t over. A story that some don’t understand that they are undoubtedly a part of. Though the words in the book come to an end, the perfect love of God does not. The words promise us that, through faith in the story of Christ, we can be consumed in the perfect love Christ has for us if we just accept it. And with that acceptance comes a love that is forever permanent, always persevering, protective through the ages, and at last and incomprehensible peace. Peace in knowing that in a broken world, even with your broken self, God’s unfailing love has you forever and always for all eternity.
His love is Peaceful.
Don’t give up on being loved, and don’t give up on loving others. Surround yourself with the perfect love of Christ our savior and discover that, though the world is broken, his love is not.
Lasting love is Permanent.
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.
— Deuteronomy 31:6
No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.
— Joshua 1:5
Lasting love is Persevering.
Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
— Psalm 136:26
Lasting love is Protective.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ Died for us. — Romans 5:8
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. — John 3:16
Lasting love is Peaceful.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
— Romans 8:37–39