Proverbs 10 - Love Covers

"Hatred stirs up strife,
 But love covers a multitude of sins."
 ~ Proverbs 10:12

Vic and I will celebrate our 13th anniversary this October. So many times I've thanked God for blessing me with a husband who strives to be a man of God, works hard to provide for our family, and challenges me to be a stronger woman in the Lord and better mother to my children.

Our relationship is strong. We're loyal to one another. We communicate (most of the time). We spend time together each day. We put our relationship before the kids, as is proper order in a Christian home. After all, if the kids always come first, how are they supposed to learn what a proper marriage covenant looks like?

However, there are days my conversations with God go something like this:

"Lord, he's driving me nuts. Why does he have to do that? Why can't he just accept the truth and get on with it? Why won't he pick up his darned socks so his kids will pick up their darned toys? Do they think I'm their maid? I so do not feel like a mother and a wife right now. I feel like the hired help who doesn't get paid. Why can't he see that acts of service is my love language? I'm so tired of this!"

The key to keeping my marriage solid is that I take everything to God first. Sometimes I sound ridiculous and can pick out my own sin while I'm spouting to God. Other times, He reassures me that I know what I'm talking about. 

I don't allow hatred to build up inside of me like a time bomb waiting to explode in the direction of my husband. I don't cause strife by spewing my heart's troubles all over my husband concerning what wrong he's supposedly done me. I take it to God. If I need more wisdom, I go to my pastor's wife or another trusted mature Christian friend. 

If I allowed the things that irritate me to get in the way of my marriage, it would have ended in the first five years. What I realized before I walked the aisle is that I entered a covenant relationship. And with God's assistance, that covenant would never break. God designed marriage to be between one man and one woman, for man to never separate. I can't allow the minor flaws in my husband's personality to get in the way of that covenant. 

I've discovered that love covers a multitude of sin, just as the Word tells us it does. Just because I don't like one thing or another on various days of the week doesn't mean I don't love my husband. It's my love for him that covers a multitude of sin. It's Jesus' love for me that reminds me I, like my husband, fall short of the glory of God. It's Jesus' love inside of me that takes the conditions off of my love for my husband and children. I don't love them because... I love them because of Jesus.

What about you? Do you allow the flaws in yourself or your husband to come between your covenant relationship before God? Or do you love him unconditionally with the love of Jesus in your heart?