Daily Devotion

“Even though God did not aim, in the beginning, for marriages to be miserable, many are. That's what sin does. It makes us treat each other badly. Christ suffered and died to change that. … This kind of love is possible because Christ died for both husband and wife. Their sins are forgiven. Neither needs to make the other suffer for sins. Christ has borne that suffering. Now as two sinful and forgiven people we can return good for evil.”

John Piper · Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die (2006), ch. 35, "To Give Marriage Its Deepest Meaning"

Scripture

Colossians 3:13-14 Bear with one another and forgive one another if anyone has a grudge against another. Forgive another as the Lord forgave you. And in all these things keep love, which binds everyone together in perfect unity.

Reflection

Conflict and hurt are inevitable in families, but true happiness is not the absence of arguments, but choosing tolerance and forgiveness in the face of conflict. The Lord's love teaches us that by supporting one another with forgiveness and tolerance, we can make our families havens of love and grace. Love is the bond that connects us, enabling us to walk steadfastly together in weakness and brokenness.