Love Never Fails

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” (1 Corinthians 13: 4-7, NLT)


With many marriages ending in divorce and long-time relationships breaking up, it is easy to become jaded about love. For many, we stop believing sustained love is possible or even worth pursuing. What a sad life this would be without love. Therefore, it is heartening when we hear that real and healthy love is possible.

We shared findings last night on Health Watch from a study out of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, published in this month’s Psychological Science, indicating that overcoming boredom is the key to keeping relationships alive and well. Over 100 first-time married couples were studied for 16 years about their marriages. Those that expressed dissatisfaction at the 7 year mark (that dreaded seven-year itch) were more likely to divorce or be dissatisfied 9 years later in their marriages. Boredom was a strong predictor of future unhappiness and loss of intimacy. That was what science had to say. But, we wanted to know what our Health Watch listeners thought about keeping relationships strong.

If last night’s Health Watch callers are indication (and we believe they are) then love truly is not dead. It is alive and well. We heard from men and women who have been married or in committed relationships for only a few years and for decades. They had a lot to teach us. One important lesson they shared is that love, like any important thing, has to be cultivated. It has to be nurtured to thrive. Yes, love never fails. But, love takes work.

Here are some “trade secrets” to successful marriages and relationships that our Health Watch listeners shared:

Ø Be friends first and forever with your mate. Relationships that start out as friendships create a foundation of trust and support that can get couples over the tough times.

Ø Keep discovering new things about your mate. Each human being has many facets. The person you are with has new things to share and so do you. Keep learning about each other and you will never get bored with the one you love.

Ø A relationship is about service. It is about bringing the best out of the one you love and trusting they will do the same for you. Service should be your relationship’s mission statement – service for their best and your best.

Ø To keep the fire burning, be intentional about taking time to love each other. Talk to each other and share your feelings. Plan date nights with each other. Do the things you did when you were dating. Keep the relationship fresh and interesting.

Ø Never be too big to say, “I’m sorry.” Be willing to forgive so that you can be forgiven.

Ø Have a healthy spiritual relationship with God/Higher Being. When you are in-tune with yourself you can be better in sync with your partner.

It is obvious from our Health Watch listeners that they are putting in the time and effort to have healthy relationships. Hopefully, they will inspire us to do the same in ours. Until next time, remember, “When we know better, we should do better. So pass it on.”