South Central Conference Youth Department

1 Corinthians 13: Wisdom for Choosing a Good Spouse

Kathy Collard Miller, D. Larry Miller
Larry Richards, Ph.D, Authors

Genesis 24:4 But will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.
This story of Abraham, his servant, Rebekah, and Isaac is a beautiful account of a father who wanted the best for his son, a servant who honored his master and prayed for direction, a woman who was willing to go on an adventure, and a son who received the gift of a wise wife that his father provided. Each person trusted God, facing the challenges that came their way.

In his old age, Abraham sent his servant to find a bride for Isaac from among his relatives in the city of Nahor in the land of Mesopotamia. When the servant arrived there, pausing at a well, he prayed for God’s guidance and immediately met a very helpful woman named Rebekah, who offered to water his camels from the well. To his delight, he discovered that she was Abraham’s great-niece – the granddaughter of Abraham’s brother, Nahor. The servant proposed marriage to Rebekah and her family on Isaac’s behalf, and she left her family and country to become Isaac’s wife. When they were united, Isaac quickly fell in love with Rebekah.

If we’re wise, we will diminish the “love is blind” syndrome by comparing our potential spouse’s behavior to the characteristics of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Take each characteristic of love named in that passage and rate your future spouse on a scale of one to ten, with one being negative and ten being positive. Be aware: Assessments like these are difficult when struck with the love bug. You will need to think clearly, so pray beforehand, asking God to help you be honest and fair.

Email your questions to Pastor Griffin