With love in the air as Valentine's Day approaches, world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham is giving some timely advice for couples who are going steady and entertaining thoughts of marriage.
A woman recently asked Graham for his advice on whether she should stick with her boyfriend who promised to stop drinking and find a good job once they are married.
The 97-year-old evangelist decided to give her a reality check. "I may not give you the answer you're hoping for – but to be frank, if he really loved you he'd make every effort to change his life right now. The Bible says, 'Wisdom will save you ... from men whose words are perverse' (Proverbs 2:12)," he writes in the Bowling Green Daily News.
Throughout several years of his ministry, Graham has received countless letters from men and women who underwent the same predicament with their spouses. They all promised to change once they are married, but never did so.
"Instead, they turned out to be concerned only for themselves – and once they were married, they didn't see any reason to change. They also had little respect for their spouse's needs and concerns, and in many cases proved unfaithful to their wedding vows," shares Graham. "They ignored the Bible's teaching that 'Love is patient, love is kind... It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking' (1 Corinthians 13:4-5)."
For women to avoid this mistake, Graham gives the most important advice he could think of when it comes to love and marriage. He encourages couples to "seek God's will for your marriage."
"If God loves you (and He does), can't He be trusted to guide you in this all-important area of your life? Of course He can – because He knows your needs, and He wants what is best for you," assures Graham.
