Yesterday morning I received a message to pray for a young girl. She was very emotional because she feared her boyfriend didn’t love her.

She wanted to know the answer to this question

“how do I know if he is the one God sent me”

I told her what my Mom told me….

Many times in my life I “thought” I was in love. Whenever I would mention the new him to my mother she would reply “does he line up with the word?” Uggggggggg! My Mom sure knew how to snap you back into reality.

What about my feelings, what about the goosebumps, what about the heart palpitations…don’t they count?

Not if they don’t line up with the word.

Back to the young girl, I referred her to a scripture we all know well.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 New International Version (NIV)

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.⁸ Love never fails. (a)

I then had her replace the words love and it with her boyfriends name

_______________________ is patient,

____________________is kind.

____________________does not envy,

____________________does not boast,

____________________is not proud.

____________________ does not dishonor others,

____________________ is not self-seeking,

____________________ is not easily angered,

____________________keeps no record of wrongs.

___________________does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

^{_______________________} always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails. 

Now I did remind her that no man is perfect but he should be striving to live a life that honors God and respects you.

I then asked her to insert her  name in the scripture. I asked her “are you really in LOVE” because if you are this should be a breeze.

She began to say how she gets mad and likes to argue….ummmm, sweetheart that doesn’t line up.

As the conversation came to a close I begin to look at my own marriage. Had I forgotten some of the scripture myself?

So often we are quick to point out the other side of the relationship.  Put your own name in the scripture and see if it still lines up!