Joel M Bradshaw

29But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 

33But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”–Luke 10

Biblical love is shown by 3 S-Words. The 3 S’s of Love work for all relationships, but pay the most dividends in marriages and parenting. These are Christlike attitudes.

1. SELFLESS. The first two men who passed by the half-dead man acted selfishly. The Samaritan was selfless. At no point in his story did he aim to be the hero or look for any credit.
2. SACRIFICIAL. The priest and Levite acted annoyed or disgusted. They couldn’t be bothered. The Samaritan had compassion and then cared for the man out of his own funds. Two went out of their way NOT to care. The Samaritan sacrificed his own agenda to care, or rather, made it is priority to care.
3. SERVICE. Some people seem to live their lives as if they are sitting at the restaurant table. Others prioritize be the servant of others. The Samaritan was a servant to someone he didn’t even know. Now go and serve the people you DO know with a humble attitude, my friends.

Marriages change with these three words. I know mine did. I applied Ephesians 5:25 with these words to define how I as a husband should love my wife like Christ gave himself for His church. I have to stay diligent and intentional and certainly still make mistakes, but these have changed my attitude for the better.–JMB