Love Dare

If you've seen the movie, "Fireproof", you know what the Love Dare is. In a marriage that is troubled, you commit to doing something each day, even if  you do not feel like doing anything nice for your spouse that day. There is more to it than that, but I am just giving you the idea of it.

It has been said more than once, that love is more than just a feeling. If it were just a feeling, yikes, how fickle we would all be! Love is an action, or a choice. When the feeling has waned, then continuing the behavior of one being in love keeps the relationship going till that next love "high". We all know in real life, love does not mean you are on the thrill ride infatuation takes us on continually.

Okay, so the other day, I was in church and in the sermon, the pastor mentioned returning to our first love—God. But I started thinking about something. If someone asked God who my first love was, would He be able to say it was He?

Ouch. As I started thinking about it, I, in clear conscience, could not say He would be able to say He is my first love. If you were to judge by my actions, behavior, and time spent with Him—then sadly the answer would be no.

Make no mistake. I am in no way proud of that.

I thought about why that is as the sermon continued. Well, easy. I just have not spent the time with God as of late. I have been so busy with family life and whatnot. Family life means so much to me because I truly love and enjoy the husband and children God has given me.

I sat in that pew and said to myself, "I have put the gift (my family) before the Giver (God)."


Losing track of how much time you spend with God and His Word is super easy when your life is busy. I think every family has a busy schedule. I know trying to home school our kids and keeping up with our "have-to's" keeps us terribly busy.

I was reminded of the Love Dare in the movie. As I sat there in the pew, I started writing down some ideas I had to do a similar type thing for God. A simple example would be to try and spend the same amount of time talking to God as I do my hubby. This will be a real challenge for me because hubby is now retired and home all the time! But I can remind myself to be talking with God as I do dishes, cook, etc. Just making myself more aware of this will increase the amount of time I spend talking to God AND listening to Him.

"Pray without ceasing."  1 Thessalonians 5:17

I was just telling my hubby the other day that I truly loved him more now than I did twelve years ago when we got married. We spent a lot of time, and still do, cultivating our marriage. I have been saved since I was a little girl. Is my life showing God I am more in love with Him than I was when I was first saved? No. I failed to cultivate our relationship.

If anyone has the character and power for us to be in total awe, it is God. I want my life to show that.