A Newlywed Valentine’s Day

This is my first Valentine’s Day as a married man. I’ve been married to my wife, Bella, for exactly 2 months, and 10 days (since I posted this). Each moment has been great! Each minute has been better than the last. Because we are newlyweds, we have a lot of knowledge from our pre-marital counseling that is still very fresh in our minds and I pray that it will stay fresh forever. 

One of those things that constantly runs through my mind is not something I got from a premarital counseling session, but actually something a friend told me right before I was about to propose. My friend sat me down and told me, “When you are married, you are supposed to love your bride as Christ loves the church.” Just take a second to think about that… If you haven’t yet grasped how big of a statement that is, let me break it down in another way. You are supposed to love your bride as Michael Jordan plays basketball, as Tiger Woods golfs, as Usain Bolt runs, as Michael Phelps swims, as Pablo Picasso paints. These people aren’t just good at what they do, THEY’RE THE BEST! Jesus isn’t just good at loving the church, He isn’t just great at loving the church. HE IS THE BEST! 

Now hopefully you realize why I have thought about this idea nearly every day since I’ve been married. You may be wondering, “Tyler, how am I supposed to PRACTICALLY love my spouse as Christ loves the church?” I’m glad you asked! What I did, and I recommend you do, is read through the Gospel of John and write down every single instance that you see Jesus loving his bride (the church). Meditate on that list and think of ways you can apply it to your life RIGHT NOW!

This Valentine’s Day, strive to love your spouse with the same amount of love that Jesus has for you and so many other people in the church. Happy Valentine’s Day