Marital Intimacy ... how are you doing?
One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is from I Corinthians 13. Let me paste it here for you so you can read it:
1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
There are many interesting and mystifying things about this chapter in I Corinthians, but something that always sticks out to me (and Dr. Powlison points out in the video link below) is what is assumed in this passage about how love works.
If you think about it, what is Paul saying when he says that love is patient, love is kind, etc? On the one hand, he is painting a picture for us of what it is like to be loved. The God of heaven and earth loves us in this way. So selfless and complete, He loves us perfectly! We are objects of His divine affection.
On the other hand though, this also means that we are called to love others like this. So take for example, the quality of love as patient. To be patient means, “able to wait without becoming annoyed or anxious” or “slow to lose one’s temper with irritating people or situations.” If you are anything like me, the concept of love being patient resonates deeply but the practice of patience in the face of annoying and irritating situations or people, well, that is far less romantic and difficult to accomplish. And yet, this is precisely how the Lord loves us and how He promises to enable us to love.
Apply this to marriage, family, friendships, neighbors, schoolmates, or whoever you find yourself interacting with. To love them well is to be patient with them, even when they are not at their best. Likewise, to not be patient with them is to not love them well. I give Jamie lots of practice in this realm but I am guessing that just maybe you can understand what I am talking about.
Here is the wonderful news about the gospel: God loves irritating, frustrating, annoying, weak, fearful, and doubting people just like those in your marriage, family, neighborhood, and school which includes of course us as well.
So take a few minutes and watch this video. CCEF has put together some videos on youtube on the subject of Marital Intimacy. I’d encourage you to take a few minutes and take a listen to at least the first one. I think you will be challenged and encouraged by God’s love.
Peace,
Brad
