By treating love in its highest sense, we enter into a marital partnership with the greatest conception of useful understanding. Most information about love is withheld from us in our youth, under the mistaken impression that tender affection is unclean and tends to degrade our humanity prior to marriage. From this worldly standpoint, parents have an inordinate duty set before them.
To give their daughter’s hand in marriage, intimacy is more a public consideration, when actually privately, economics and social resources are thought to be of chief importance for marital success. Males and females both seek what is opposite in accordance with natural law. Real love is not a physical union but the result of two souls meeting, that allow mind and body to harmonize and become one. A blessed and happy marriage, therein, man and woman find life to be a heaven on earth.
To both husband and wife, over your tongues, preserve a strict guard that you never say anything that is offensive, disrespectful, or unkind. Your tempers should never seem hostile or negative towards one another. If offense arises, forgive your partner and do not think they are immune from human mistakes.
Perfect yourselves, but never expect perfection from the other. Though married life is entered into with extreme grandeur, it cannot be useful, happy, or lived well without proper grounding of love in the highest sense. The marital covenant will jump the tracks if allowed to go on its own. Each and every turn will cause a collision if good watch is not maintained over the love that bonds.
Home is the kingdom of a woman; her most precious privilege and greatest pleasure should be the quiet retirement into a place that she reigns as queen. The dwelling and its belongings form a home—the most delightful place in the world—where love springs up, take root, and accomplish great good in the world. The creation of a jovial and helpful atmosphere is one of the most treasured qualities a wife can construct. It covers with gold the humblest house, and often changes an uncaring and careless man into an exceptional one.
Contentment is a fine remedy and prevents sickness. However, if sickness is present, it can promote its cure. A man is happy who has a contented wife and happy is a woman who has a considerate husband. When there is love between the two in its highest sense, production of principled and praiseworthy offspring has its best chance. To be well-born is the greatest right a child has among the many rights children are born with. Whether we enjoy, suffer, bless, or curse others throughout our time on earth is mainly reliant upon the characteristics engraved upon us by our parents. As parents we should act with intelligence, forethought, and love in the highest possible sense.
1 Corinthians 7:1-6
New International Version
Concerning Married Life
7 “Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.4 The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command.”
1 Corinthians 7:1-6
King James Version
7 “Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
6 But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.”
1 Corinthians 7:1-6
Living Bible
7 “Now about those questions you asked in your last letter: my answer is that if you do not marry, it is good. 2 But usually it is best to be married, each man having his own wife, and each woman having her own husband, because otherwise you might fall back into sin.
3 The man should give his wife all that is her right as a married woman, and the wife should do the same for her husband: 4 for a girl who marries no longer has full right to her own body, for her husband then has his rights to it, too; and in the same way the husband no longer has full right to his own body, for it belongs also to his wife. 5 So do not refuse these rights to each other. The only exception to this rule would be the agreement of both husband and wife to refrain from the rights of marriage for a limited time, so that they can give themselves more completely to prayer. Afterwards, they should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt them because of their lack of self-control.”
2 Corinthians 13:14
New International Version
14 “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
2 Corinthians 13:14
King James Version
14 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.”
2 Corinthians 13:14
Living Bible
14 “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. May God’s love and the Holy Spirit’s friendship be yours.”
Deuteronomy 7:9
New International Version
9 “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”
Deuteronomy 7:9
King James Version
9 “Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;”
Deuteronomy 7:9
Living Bible
9 “ “Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is the faithful God who for a thousand generations keeps his promises and constantly loves those who love him and who obey his commands.”