Love Conquers All

Audio By Carbonatix

I’ve shared about the importance of love in a number of different articles over the years. It’s a topic that I keep coming back to because it is so vital, especially in our closest relationships. And when I write or talk about love, I don’t mean the “butterflies in your stomach” feeling. I mean a consistent commitment to wanting the best for the people around us and making the choice to put our own preferences and comfort aside to help them achieve that.

If that sounds a little too theoretical, let me give you some concrete examples. One way we can love our families is by putting aside our deep desire to be right. We could stop needing to get the last word in any debate. Or we can choose to speak and act kindly, even when we think we’ve been wronged and deserve to say or do something to get back at somebody. We can also take over one of our wife’s or parents’ typical chores when they’re having a draining week. Of course, as we know more and more about our loved ones, we will have even better and more specific ways that we can show them love.

But even those examples don’t fully explain what I’m getting at. There’s a passage from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 that many of us have probably heard read in wedding ceremonies. These verses give a fuller understanding of love: “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. Love never fails.” Of course, none of us will do it perfectly, but if we work to live that out in our marriage and family relationships, we will see them flourish!

Love that is unconditional is especially important for your children. I’m not making you aware of anything you don’t already know, but your children will sometimes do things that will greatly disappoint you. It’s okay to acknowledge your disappointment, but it’s important to also let them know that your love is still there. I’ve sometimes seen parents use “love” as the carrot that they dangle out in front of their kids to manipulate them into behaving the way that they want them to behave. Parents, that’s not one of our options. We need to love our kids no matter what! We might not always like their choices, but we always need to make sure they know that we love them. Trust me—that is a big deal! And as we seek to put love into action and let it transform our relationships and interactions, we’ll all be winning more often at home.