Not long after moving to a tiny Texas town, we were excited to be invited to a couples event.
After creating our pizzas to cook in the outdoor oven, the group gathered in a circle to visit. The hostess welcomed everyone and asked that we all introduce ourselves and answer this question: what do you attribute to the longevity of your relationships?
As I frantically tried to think of something profound to say, the couple sitting next to me said, “We watch Forensic Files together.”
Right. There is no such thing as the perfect crime, especially if you are married.
Later, I thought about what Grant and I like to watch: Film Noir. This got me to wondering, what relationship advice could be learned from Film Noir?
- Be aware if your spouse develops an increased interest in a life insurance policy for you.
- Avoid hiring a good-looking drifter to fix the brakes on your car.
- Don’t keep lots of tempting cash or jewelry in the home safe.
Maintaining a relationship is tricky, and if we want to avoid prison time, we need help focused on building positive expectations, assumptions, faith, trust, communication, flexibility, and forgiveness.
Jesus gives relationship advice in Mark 12:30-31, “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
Who is your closest neighbor? The person sitting across from you at the breakfast table!
How does God define love? 1Corinthians 13:4-7 tells us, “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
Finally, 1Corinthians 13:13 wraps it all up in a simple package, “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”
Need a positive resource for relationship help? Check out Focus on the Family’s site here.
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