What Is True Love?
We have come together to unite this man and this woman in marriage, which is an institution ordained by God and recognized by the state and is not to be entered into lightly or unadvisedly.
This is the time you have chosen to become husband and wife. We are here, not only to witness your commitment to each other, but also to wish you both every happiness in your future life together and to celebrate your love for each other.
So with that said, let me read these few words that describe what true love is.
READING: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is always patient and kind. It is never jealous. Love is never boastful or conceited, it is never rude or selfish, it does not take offense and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s faults, but delights in the truth. It is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope. It is always ready to endure whatever comes. True love does not come to an end.
Together, let’s examine several points of love. First of all, love is patient. Love knows how to wait. In a culture where everything is fast paced, where we expect instant results and instant gratification, patience is a rare gift. But true love waits. It waits for healing. It waits for growth. It waits for people to find their way without forcing them to move faster than they are able. Think about it. Patience is not weakness.Patience is strength under control. It’s the ability to hold steady in the storm, to trust the process, and to believe that timing has purpose. When you practice patience, you are choosing to value the journey over the destination. That is love.Love is also kind. Kindness is the language of love.It’s in the smile to a stranger, the encouragement to a friend, the gentle response when anger would be easier. Kindness is love in action. Love that meets people right where they are. The beautiful thing about kindness is that it multiplies. One act of kindness can echo throughout countless lives. When you choose kindness, you plant seeds that you may never see fully bloom, but they will grow all the same. Another point regarding love is that it is not envious. It is not arrogant nor is it self-seeking.Love does not compare. It doesn’t measure itself against someone else’s blessings.
Love celebrates when others rise. Love rejoices when others succeed. It does not boast. It doesn’t need to draw attention to itself because love is not about ego. It’s about others. True love gives without expecting applause.
It serves without demanding recognition. It finds joy simply in lifting others up. And love is not self-seeking. In a world where we’re constantly told to look out for number one, love turns the focus outward. It asks, “How can I help you? How can I make this person’s life lighter? How can I be a source of hope for someone else?” Love also protects, trusts, and perseveres. Love is not fragile. It’s resilient. It protects when life becomes dangerous. It trusts when doubt tries to creep in. It perseveres when circumstances scream, “Just give up.” Think about the strongest people you know. They’re not always the loudest, the toughest, or the most powerful. The strongest people are those who love even when they have been hurt, even when they’ve been wronged. They are the people who keep believing when others have stopped. They’re the ones who continue giving when it would be easier to close their hearts. That’s real love. And love never fails. Everything else fades. Knowledge changes, prophecies pass away, success, money, even health. All of these are temporary. But love, love remains. When you look back over your life, you will not measure its worth by the possessions you’ve owned or the titles you’ve carried. You’ll measure it by the love you gave and the love you received. That is the legacy that endures.
This reading ends with these words. Now these three remain. Faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Faith, it is the foundation of belief. It’s what anchors us when life feels uncertain.
Hope, it lifts our eyes beyond the present. It is what whispers that tomorrow holds possibility.
But love is the greatest because love is actually the fulfillment of both. Love is what faith looks like when it comes alive.
Love is what hope feels like when it is shared. So if God commands us to love, then how do we live it out? How do we take these ancient words and make them real in today’s world?
We live it out by slowing down and choosing patience in the face of frustration. We live it out by being kind when cruelty would be easier. We live it out by putting others ahead of ourselves even in small ways. We live it out by refusing to give up on people even when it feels hard. By protecting those who are vulnerable. By trusting when fear temps us to close off. By persevering when love feels like it’s too heavy a burden to carry. Love is not always easy. In fact, love will stretch you. It will challenge you. And sometimes loving will even cause your heart to be broken, but it will also transform you. Love is something that will always one way or another find its way back to you.
Here’s the challenge. Imagine our families, our communities, our workplaces, and even our world. Imagine what they would look like if we all chose to embody this kind of love. Imagine the healing that would come if kindness was our reflex instead of anger. If patience was our posture instead of frustration. If sacrifice was our joy instead of our burden. This kind of love, it isn’t weak. It is actually the most powerful force on earth. It can heal divisions. It can restore brokenness. It can bring light into the darkest places. So today, let’s choose love. Let’s choose it in the way we speak. Let’s choose it in the way we serve. Let’s make it the way that we pay it forward. Let’s make it the way that we dream. Let’s allow love to shape us, guide us, and move us forward. Because love, it never fails. Now if you remember nothing else from these words, remember this. You are loved. You are worthy of love. And you have the ability to give love that can change someone else’s life forever. So walk in patience, walk in kindness, walk in forgiveness, walk in grace. Let love be your legacy, your language, and your power. For in the end, love is the greatest of all. And love, it never fails.
VOWS EXCHANGED
Do you (_____) take (_____) to be your wife, to love, honor, comfort, and cherish her from this day forth? Answer: I do.
Do you (_____) take (_____) to be your husband, to love, honor, comfort and cherish him from this day forth? Answer: I do
RINGS
(Groom) with thisring I thee wed. Take it and wear it as a symbol of the vows I have made to you today.
(Bride) with this ring I thee wed. Take it and wear it as a symbol of the vows I have made to you today.
You have declared before all of us that you will live together in marriage. You have made special promises to each other, which have been symbolized by the joining of hands, the exchanging of vows and the giving and receiving of two rings. So it is with these in mind and by the authority given to me as a minister in the State of Florida, I pronounce that you are husband and wife.
(____), you may now kiss your bride. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you Mr. and Mrs. (____)
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