The Proverbs Challenge - 35 Years - Day 18

Today's verse was easy to pick.

22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing
And obtains favor from the LORD.

The reason this was easy to pick is because today is MLW (My Lovely Wife) and my 35 wedding anniversary. (I've got to stop telling people I'm 37 years old. Hahaha.) I definitely found favor from the LORD when He brought Cheryl and I together. We first started sitting by each other in church - Eastwood Baptist Church, Tulsa, OK - when she was in 8th grade and I was in 9th. We've had a wonderful life together and I look forward to many more years together.

Here's a picture of one of my favorite picture frames in the house. The picture in the middle was taken when Cheryl turned 15. My heart still goes flitter-flutter when I see this picture.

If I could wish anything for you it would be first, of course, that you know the Lord Jesus Christ in a personal relationship and second, that you could have a marriage as wonderful as ours.

True Love!

I've been to lots of weddings - perhaps thousands. I've sung, played the violin, played the organ, played the piano and even been the preacher. Now and then I've even just been a spectator.

Of course the best wedding ever was way back when on a beautiful June afternoon after a string quartet played some lovely music a beautiful young girl walked down a really long aisle to join a really young guy in holy matrimony (we used fancy words like that back then) and the lovely Miss Cheryl Lynn became Mrs. Lyndel Littleton. Haha! We also wore powder blue tuxes with big ruffles on our tux shirts!

Anyway... at MANY of these weddings I've heard this rather famous passage of scripture read out of many different translations. Today you'll see it in the Holman Christian Standard.

1 Corinthians 13

If I speak the languages of men and of angels, but do not have love,
I am a sounding gong
or a clanging cymbal.

If I have [the gift of] prophecy,
and understand all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have all faith, so that I can move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.

And if I donate all my goods to feed the poor,
and if I give my body to be burned,
but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient; love is kind.
Love does not envy;
is not boastful; is not conceited;

does not act improperly; is not selfish;
is not provoked; does not keep a record of wrongs;

finds no joy in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth;

bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends.

Here's the kicker.

This passage was not written for lovers. It wasn't Paul's gift to wedding coordinators and wedding chapel preachers.

Nope.

This passage was written to the CHURCH! This is how we are supposed to treat each other. This is how the world will know that we are different. This is how the world will know God's love - when they see it demonstrated - lived out - in the church.

Jesus said, "By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:35

That means we show love in all the ways that are listed in 1 Corinthians 13 to each other in the church. Of course marriages are to be an example of Christ and the church, so the passage definitely applies to couples. (but that's a whole other post)

Let me encourage you to show the love of God - as seen in 1 Corinthians 13 - this week. (since God is love, He is all of the things listed here)