Love Never Gives Up

Love never gives up. Love never stops loving. But what if you’re hurting? What if you’re disappointed? The answers aren’t always easy. But they do always require wisdom.

No one enters a relationship – especially a marriage – with the goal of being disappointed, hurt, or rejected. But it happens. And you will be the one to decide what you need to do.

What does “love never gives up” mean for your relationship?

As you seek wisdom about how to respond to your pain, consider these facts:

• You and your mate constantly create and re-create an emotional cycle.
  • Can you describe your cycle?
  • How does it define your relationship?
  • In what ways is it defining who you are as an individual?
• Hurting people hurt people. When you enter into a relationship, you are volunteering to help your significant other with his or her pain.
  • Do you try to fix him or her?
  • Do you provide genuine empathy?
  • Are you increasing his or her pain by your reaction?
• How you see the problem can become a problem.
  • Boundaries are important. Sometimes, walking away is the most loving thing you can do.
  • Do you know when and how to move toward your mate?

Love never gives up means you don’t …

• play the blame game,
• use manipulation and guilt,
• enable destructive behavior, or
• degrade your mate … or yourself.

Instead you try to understand and respond to one another is healthful ways.

And you ask for help when you need it.

Love never gives up. 1 CORiNTHiANS 13:4-7