Keeping Faith In Love
Posted by Glenn Riley
Written by Ian Taylor
We live in a world that tells us love should be easy. That if it’s right, it won’t hurt. That if it’s meant to be, it won’t require struggle.
But that’s not what the Bible teaches us. And if I’m honest — it’s not what life has shown me either.
The path to true love — the kind that lasts, the kind that’s real — is never easy.
Just look at the love stories in Scripture:
- Jacob waited fourteen years for Rachel (Genesis 29:20–30). He worked tirelessly, endured deception, and held onto his love through it all. Why? Because she was worth it.
- Hosea loved Gomer, even when she turned away from him time and time again (Hosea 3). God used that story to show the kind of love He has for us — a love that redeems, restores, and refuses to quit.
- Even Ruth and Boaz’s story was built on loss, grief, uncertainty, and sacrifice. Ruth didn’t chase romance — she chased loyalty, and God honored her for it (Ruth 1–4).
These weren’t fairy tales. They were raw, messy, patient stories filled with faith, pain, and choices. Love wasn’t a feeling. It was a decision — made over and over again.
And maybe that’s the message we all need.
Because real love — the God-honoring kind — won’t always feel like a warm breeze.
Sometimes it feels like carrying a cross.
Love teaches us patience.
It forces us to lay down pride.
It calls us to forgive when it’s hard, to wait when we want to rush, and to speak truth even when silence would be easier.
I believe love is sacred. But I also believe it’s not for the faint of heart. That’s why Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:
“Love is patient, love is kind…
It does not envy, it does not boast…
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
(1 Corinthians 13:4–7)
If love was always easy, that verse wouldn’t need to exist.
So if you’re in a season where love feels distant, or like the one you care about has drifted away…
If your heart is weary from waiting, or wounded from what love cost you…
Know this:
God sees you.
He understands every ache.
And in His timing — not ours — love will come. And it will be worth the lessons, the tears, the waiting, and the work.
The path is hard — but the destination is holy.
Stay faithful.
Walk slow.
And trust that what’s meant to be doesn’t arrive without being tested first.
With faith,
Ian
Light At The End Of The Tunnel 