Marriage is more than just a give and take relationship. God loves us, and keeps on loving us—in spite of what we give Him in return. Marriage works the same way.

On her golden wedding anniversary, a woman revealed the secret of her long and happy marriage: “On my wedding day, I decided to choose ten of my husband’s faults which, for the sake of our marriage, I would overlook,” she explained. A guest asked her to name some of the faults. “To tell the truth,” she replied, “I never did get around to listing them. But whenever my husband did something that made me hopping mad, I would say to myself, ‘Lucky for him that’s one of the ten.’”

Marriage involves a commitment to love regardless. It means staying at it through thick and thin. Christ unconditionally offered Himself for the Church, His Bride. This is the same devotion He desires for both partners in a marriage relationship.

Are you looking over or overlooking offenses committed by your spouse? Avoid holding your spouse to an impossible standard. God is the God of the Second Chance—as His children, we ought to return the favor to our spouses. If you want your marriage to last, determine that you, too, will love—whatever the cost.