We talk about love all the time and often refer to 1 Corinthians 13.4 – 8 as a good description. But I like this list from Colossians:

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with

• compassion,
• kindness,
• humility,
• gentleness and
• patience.
• Bear with each other and
• forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
• And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3.12 – 14, ESV, bulleted for clarity)

Here’s what I shared with the bride and groom at a wedding I performed recently:

You all clean up pretty well! But there will be another day, maybe next week or next month, when he commits a husband error. At that time, new bride, that’s when we need to “bear with each other” and “forgive one another” and “put on love.”

Doesn’t she look great! And isn’t she happy? There will be another day…when she will be down about something or worried about something or out of sorts for whatever reason. On that day, new husband, she will need your compassion, kindness, gentleness, and patience. And yes, your love.

I went on to tell them…

Weddings are easy and fun and short. Marriages are hard, sometimes not so much fun, and long. I pray that you will take to heart Colossians 3.12 – 14, written to all of us, but especially applicable in the dailyness of marriage:

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Amen.