A story is told of a man who, after his fiancée broke off their engagement, received the following letter:
Dearest Jimmy,
No words could ever express the great unhappiness I’ve felt since breaking our engagement. Please take me back. No one could ever take your place in my heart, so please forgive me. I love you!
Yours forever, Marie
P.S. Congratulations on winning the lottery.
It’s been said that many people get married for the same reason a tick gets on a dog. Not for what they can give, but for what they can get out of it!
So how can we love with the right motives? Well, whether we’re married or not, we’re called to love others in such a way that we seek their good before ours. We don’t love others for what they can do for us, but for how we can serve them.
Jesus embodied this kind of love in His life here on earth. He served those He loved by washing their feet, eating with them at risk to His own reputation, and fighting for them when they were unjustly accused.
If you want to love well, look at Jesus, the perfect example of love for us!