Paul warned against being “unequally yoked with unbelievers”, an admonition many Christian girls question in the throes of attraction. But if there ever was reason to follow Paul’s command, it is in the necessity of faithfulness. Many a man can say he loves you. Many can win and woo with words. And even more can persuade you that faith is of little consequence; that love can make up the difference.
But love and faith are one and the same. They cannot exist apart from one another.
Your faithful love, O Lord, extends to the heavens. (Psalm 36:5)
Staying love isn’t built on emotion. Sometimes it simply exists. But deep beneath its quiet existence burns an unquenchable fire fueled by faithfulness. As we choose love in unlovely moments the fire burns brighter and hotter. The heat of it warms the heart that could otherwise grow cold. Lasting love is built on the staying power of faithfulness.
It seems too simple, choosing to stay. It looks easy, but it’s so incredibly hard. Faithfulness is the very essence of God Himself, who strives with the sinner and stays with the broken even when it hurts. Even when it costs Him everything.
Don’t look for a man to “spiritually lead” you; you need a man spiritually led by God, whose faithfulness is the foundation of every true love. The man led by God is led by God’s love. God’s love is unfailing. God’s love is steadfast. God’s love stays.
So marry the man whose love is like God’s: faithful, eternal, and steadfast. This kind of love sticks through the hardest moments and buoys you through every storm. It’s a slow love, mundane in its dailiness. But it’s the kind of love you wake up to every morning because you can trust that it will still be there.
**A version of this post originally appeared on PhyliciaDelta.com, published with permission.
