Love Endures All Things

By: Jenifer Metzger

Love bears all things, believes all

things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:7 CSB

Love doesn’t quit.

Love doesn’t give up.

Love endures all things.

We can apply this kind of enduring love to multiple types of relationships in our life; the marriage relationship, the parent/child relationship, and friendship.

First, let’s look at the marriage relationship. Think back to your wedding vows. The vows we repeated before God and our loved ones tell us how a marriage is to endure. “For better or for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish.” They don’t say, “For better or quit, for richer or quit, for health or quit.”

Unfortunately, marriage this day in age is throw away. It isn’t working, quit. I once had a woman tell me that she wasn’t sure she wanted to marry her husband, but she figured if she didn’t like being married to him after a while, she would just divorce him. That is not enduring love. That is not how God sees marriage. God’s way is to endure, to be in it for the long haul.

He leaves his shoes out constantly. He frequently forgets to thank you for dinner. He doesn’t tell you how beautiful you are as often as you would like. He spends more money than you can afford to spend. We can all probably think of that one thing our husband does that drives us crazy. But love still endures.

An enduring love doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement and growth. It doesn’t mean we should avoid those hard but necessary conversations. But it does mean we don’t give up just because we tripped over his sneakers again or he spent too much time with his buddies. Love endures.

Second, let’s look at the parent/child relationship. We know a mother’s love never stops. We know how deeply we love our children and the very thought of giving up on them is unfathomable. But what about when your toddler has been whining and hanging on you all day long? When your eight year old refuses to listen to anything you say? When your teenager is rude and disrespectful? When your prodigal is so far from God and battling addictions you never thought you’d face?

We may never give up on our child, but have we given up on praying for them? Do our prayers have endurance? Do we seek God for wisdom in dealing with our children or for deliverance of what our child is facing? Love endures, and we need to make sure our prayers are enduring as well.

And third, let’s look at friendship. Too often we walk away from a friendship because of an offence or difference of opinion. She didn’t check on me when I was sick or facing this hardship, I am done! She didn’t offer to help me when I said how busy I was, I need a better friend! She doesn’t believe how I believe, I can’t be friends with her anymore!

For many years I felt I didn’t need friends. I had my husband, who as cliché as it may sound is my best friend, and I had my mom. That was all I needed and all I wanted. Then God placed two women in my life. We were unlikely friends and we had little other than Jesus in common. But the closer we grew to each other, the more I understood the need we have for women in our lives. To have a woman in our corner rooting for us. A woman who lifts us in prayer regularly. A woman who takes us to the feet of Jesus. 

And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic

carried by four men. And when they could

not get near Him because of the crowd, they

removed the roof above Him, and when they

had made an opening, they let down the bed

on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw

their faith, He said to the paralytic,

“Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Mark 2:3-5 CSB

The four men carried their friend to see Jesus in hopes of a healing. First, we don’t know exactly how far they carried the paralyzed man, but we know it could have been a long way. No car, no wheelchair to push, they carried him. When they arrived, it was so crowded, they couldn’t get to Jesus. They could have given up, many of us would, yet they endured. They found a way to get their friend to Jesus. Verse 5 says, “When Jesus saw their faith.” It was because of their faith, because of his friends, that he was forgiven and it goes on to then say he was healed.

Years ago when my grandmother was rushed by ambulance to the emergency room and we were unsure of what was wrong or what would happen, I couldn’t pray. I was paralyzed with fear. I shot a quick text to those two ladies I previously mentioned simply saying, “My grandmother is on her way by ambulance to the ER, pray.” That was all they needed to hear and they carried us to the feet of Jesus. We need friends who will endure and get us to the feet of Jesus, and we need to be that kind of friend.

What about Jesus? What if Jesus had given up? What if He had not endured?

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so

great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay 

aside every weight, and sin which clings so

closely, and let us run with endurance the

race that is set before us, looking to Jesus,

the founder and perfecter of our faith, who

for the joy that was set before him endured

the cross, despising the shame, and is seated

at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2 CSB

He endured the cross. Jesus endured for you and me. He endured a beating you and I could never even begin to comprehend. He endured death. He didn’t have to. He chose to, for us. Can we strive to have an enduring love like Jesus?

Our love, whether for our spouse, our children, or a friend, needs to be a love that endures all things. 

Disclaimer: If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, we are not telling you to endure abuse. Seek help. If you don’t know where to turn, reach out to us and let us help you. 

Discussion:
1. Share an example of enduring love in your life?
2. Which area do you think you need to work on/pray about, enduring love in marriage, parenting, or friendship?