Steven McClatchy, LPC, Living Well Counseling
February is a month with emphasis on love with Valentine’s Day in the middle. In our online world, there is no doubt many posts will be there about special dates, dinners, and events. We should celebrate our relationships that God has put together.
But along with those relationships, there is pressure on those who do not have a relationship or that relationship finds itself in the midst of a hardship, struggle, or some level of brokenness. There will be those that are going through this time without a life partner or other loved ones. Maybe they are dealing with the hurt of a breakup, separation, death, or divorce. There are those that will stay away from social media because they are not ready to have the constant reminders.
I Corinthians 13 is known as the “Love Chapter,” but there are interesting concepts there that cause struggles for some. This passage deals with God’s level of love especially in verses 4-7. Many times, our human love contains a level of arrogance or wanting our way. Relationships are messy and when we allow sin to enter the relationship it gets even messier.
My wife and I have been married for 35 years and while the love is there, we’ve also had rough periods including illness, hospital rooms, and struggles raising our sons. Part of love is dealing with the messy stuff and sometimes that stuff stinks and you have to deal with it. Where love comes in is when you face it as a team and persevere through it.
Also consider James 1:2. Only with God’s help are we able to count those trials and tribulations as joy. Sometimes that means seeking out godly counsel to get through it. That may be a pastor, mentor, or a professional counselor that guides us through those trials and tribulations. Satan will try to convince us it is not big enough of an issue to bother someone else with. “You should be strong enough to handle it yourself” is a statement that has usually been heard in some way by clients in my office.
This is not the mushy, sloppy kisses type of article you may have been expecting during this Valentine’s period. If you have a Godly marriage by all means, celebrate that and continue to grow it, just be mindful and aware of those around you that may need some grace during this time.