The 16 Outcomes of Love – Part 3
Do We Really Love Each Other? – Part 4.3
This is the final four of our 16 outcomes of love. By now, you are either discouraged or have experienced a shocking revelation. At any rate, both emotions are expected. However, we have four more to go and a conclusion to help take steps in the event you don’t measure up or your significant other is falling short.
It’s possible that you’ve never experienced love in any shape, form, or fashion, but we know that’s not true. Maybe you’ve experienced love, but just got away from it and replaced “love” with a substitute that ordinary people are painting for you. The truth is I want you to not only experience the kind of love that produces one or more of these outcomes, but have love for another in such a way that you give him or her one or more of these outcomes. Let’s dive right back into it.
Outcome 13 – Trust him or her even when others do not.
Love always trusts; [4] trusts God always. [2]
By simply reading this one creates apprehension. Your spouse should have at least one person on earth (you) who trusts him or her without any reservations. When others distrust your significant other, most (51% or more) find the trust for their significant beginning to erode. We call this normal. When others voice their distrust, it’s easy to jump on board and begin questioning your significant other. When we do this it doesn’t display love. Have you ever questioned your significant other because someone else gave you information that made you doubt her or him? Have you taken another’s word for it (whatever it may be) over your spouse? Anytime we allow our trust to be tarnished, we’ve just allowed our love for another to tarnish. My words may say I love you, but when I lose trust in my spouse, says I don’t.
Outcome 14 – Search for the best in him or her.
Love always hopes. [4] It always looks for the best. [2]
Do you know what it means to hope? How about looking for the best? Looking for the worst is easy and normal, but looking for the best in him or her isn’t as easy and is uncommon. No matter what, your spouse should be able to count on at least one person who always looks for the best in her or him. Are you guilty of identifying the challenges you see in your significant other? Are you always looking for their bad qualities or screw-ups? My words may say I love you, but looking for anything short of the best in him or her, says I don’t.
Outcome 15 – Forget how to quit.
Love always perseveres; [4] it never gives up. [1] It never looks back. [2]
Quitting is one thing the average person in our society does well. When things don’t go our way or when the situation becomes too tough or uncomfortable, we quit. By the way, quitting is easy. You don’t want a person who will quit on you because they’re not willing to do what’s hard when times call for it. Love is uncommon because love does what an average person will not, persevere. Have you given your spouse any indications that you might give up, turn back or back out? Do you exemplify the characteristics of one who will never quit on her or him? Does your spouse see you as one who will continue until? My words may say I love you, but when my spouse has doubts that I will persevere, says I don’t.
Outcome 16 – Don’t fail your spouse.
Love never fails. [4] It keeps going to the very end. [2]
Don’t look at this as if you can’t make a mistake. Look at this one as making a passing grade. You can’t fail the course in loving your spouse. Would you receive a passing grade from your spouse in the area of love? When you love him or her, you become willing to do whatever it takes to make a passing grade, you will do whatever it will take to get through the class. Are you receiving a passing score from your significant other? Have you completed your make-up work for your grade in loving your spouse? Your words may say I love you, but when you fail to pass the course on loving him or her, says I don’t.
What does it mean when one doesn’t measure up to these outcomes?
In this lesson, there are 16 outcomes or ways in which you can say I love you. But what if you failed or your spouse doesn’t measure up to any one of the 16? You might not want to hear this, but you need to. If a person who you think loves you, doesn’t produce at least one of these outcomes, it means they don’t love you. In fact, if you say you love someone and you don’t provide the one you say you love any of these outcomes, it means you don’t love them. Love, my friend, isn’t a feeling. However, when you produce these outcomes for another, they will feel it and so will you. Here is your opportunity to improve your expressions of love for your significant other, pick one outcome and work on that one. All it takes is one, then move on to the next until you are able to give the one you love all 16 outcomes.
Take a breath, you’ve made it through the 16 outcomes of love. It’s a game changer. Let me remind you, I never said this would be easy to swallow. In fact, it’s not easy at all because it’s not normal, but you don’t want to be normal, you are making plans for an uncommon marriage.
Assignment: What does your ideal wedding day look like? What does your ideal marriage look like?
For our next lesson, we will need to answer this question. Give some thought to what you want your wedding day to look like. Then give some thought to how regular life together as wife and husband will look like. Joint down your thoughts and ideas. You two are in this together and this assignment will help you put your image in focus of who you wish to become together.
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Our team has worked very hard putting it together. We designed it to help you and your family move the needle forward in making your life your business.
Find out more about the Family plan here.Reference #1: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT, Bible.com, accessed September 14, 2021, https://www.bible.com/bible/116/1CO.13.4-7.NLT
Reference #2: 1 Corinthians 13:3-7-3-7 MSG, Bible.com, accessed September 14, 2021, https://www.bible.com/bible/97/1CO.13.3-7.MSG
Reference #3: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV, Bible.com, accessed September 14, 2021, https://www.bible.com/bible/59/1CO.13.4-7.ESV
Reference #4: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV, Bible.com, accessed September 14, 2021, https://www.bible.com/bible/111/1CO.13.4-8.NIV
All Scripture references used by permission, see our Scripture copyrights.
