4 These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, 5 to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes (Titus 2) 

For as long as I remember I would read this verse and just not understand how someone needs to be taught to love their children. Then I suddenly had two boys under 2 and I was starting to understand. Yes, I love my boys very much. But sometimes when I’m tired and overwhelmed I don’t love being a mom. And when I’ve given everything I have to be a mom, I don’t have anything left to be a wife.  

After speaking these thoughts to a friend, it later occurred to me that love is an action word and not just “feelings”. And 1 Cor 13 explains exactly which actions are love actions. 

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1Cor 13) 

Maybe, just maybe it wasn’t talking about loving your husband and children with a loving “feeling” but using actions to love them.  

Train the women to love…. AKA 

• Be patient with your children  
• Be kind to your children  
• Dont be rude to your children 
• Dont always demand your way 
• Dont be irritable with your children  
• Don’t hold past sins over their head 
• Don’t rejoice about injustice (I told you so) 
• Never give up on your children 
• Never lose faith in them 

And of course, the same goes for your husband.  

• Be patient with your husband  
• Be kind to your husband  
• Don’t be rude to your husband  
• Dont demand your way 
• Dont be irritable with your husband  
• Dont hold past sins over his head 
• Dont rejoice about injustice (I told you so) 
• Never give up on your husband  
• Never lose faith in your husband  

Hope, faith, and love 
The greatest of these is….