Biblical love does not consider what the other person deserves, and it doesn’t demand reciprocation. Biblical love doesn’t keep a scorecard of his wrongs and my rights.

Love is demonstrated when we absorb the injury, and weaknesses are illuminated most when love is demonstrated. Just as Jesus loved us and transformed our hearts, you can choose to love your spouse to change.

We demonstrate love for our spouses when we put their needs before our own, and when we love until the end. Love is thinking about what the other person needs, it’s thinking about what would bless them even when they're difficult, even when we're hurting.

We can’t forgive until we see our spouse’s heart the way God sees them, and we can’t see their heart until we take the time to invest in knowing them deeply.

Bearing with others is not natural for us as humans. It’s natural for us to point fingers and judge. Grace suspends that judgment and instead chooses to step into the battle for your spouse.

Patiently loving our spouses means we pour out grace instead of harsh comments, it means we show lovingkindness rather than indifference, it means we offer forgiveness in place of judgment.

Meekness is in direct opposition to what the world teaches, and what our inner heart desires when responding, but it is what God calls us to do when we are loving one another.

Being humble is not something we can do in our own power—not consistently, not with sincerity. We need the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us to truly be able to demonstrate a humble attitude.

Until we have let go of the hurt that our spouse has caused us, we simply cannot genuinely put their needs before our own. Forgiveness of those deep hurts happen only through the intervention of the Spirit.