Love ~ a Valentine's Day post
Okay, okay. So Valentine's Day was yesterday. But we should not only talk about love on certain days of the year, right? Also, I noticed that yesterday, I posted all about hate, so I thought today I would do a post about love. Sorry if this gets long winded.
Love.
What is it? You can ask a million people and get a million different answers. I personally have struggled with what love is and how it is shown. So what is love?
Love is an emotion - maybe so, but what about when the racing heart and fuzzy feelings are gone? So many people only think about love as "being in love" and when that is gone, then they feel empty. Sometimes they get divorced.
Love is an action/choice - we choose to love. Our daily actions, our sacrifices for others is love. In this way, love exists after the feelings leave. Even when someone does something hurtful, we can still love. Like when you were little and your parents punished you, they would say that they were disappointed in you, but they still loved you.
God is love - the Bible tells us this. 1 John chapter 4, verses 7-21 are all about how God is love and then how that fact translates to our lives. To me, this is the end all. Just act like God and you will be loving people. Unfortunately, we can't be like God. So what then?
Love is putting others need before your own. Love is unselfish. This kind of goes with "love is and action/choice". When you do something for someone else, above your own wishes, you show them love. Philippians 2:3-4 says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourself. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." This is the action.
You probably assumed 1 Corinthians chapter 13 was going to end up in here somewhere. You really can't have a discussion about love without it.
Love.
What is it? You can ask a million people and get a million different answers. I personally have struggled with what love is and how it is shown. So what is love?
Love is an emotion - maybe so, but what about when the racing heart and fuzzy feelings are gone? So many people only think about love as "being in love" and when that is gone, then they feel empty. Sometimes they get divorced.
Love is an action/choice - we choose to love. Our daily actions, our sacrifices for others is love. In this way, love exists after the feelings leave. Even when someone does something hurtful, we can still love. Like when you were little and your parents punished you, they would say that they were disappointed in you, but they still loved you.
God is love - the Bible tells us this. 1 John chapter 4, verses 7-21 are all about how God is love and then how that fact translates to our lives. To me, this is the end all. Just act like God and you will be loving people. Unfortunately, we can't be like God. So what then?
Love is putting others need before your own. Love is unselfish. This kind of goes with "love is and action/choice". When you do something for someone else, above your own wishes, you show them love. Philippians 2:3-4 says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourself. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." This is the action.
You probably assumed 1 Corinthians chapter 13 was going to end up in here somewhere. You really can't have a discussion about love without it.
"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails."
For me, this is what I strive for as I learn to love. The hardest part for me is "love keeps no record of wrongs". I remember so many hurtful things people did to me, whether intentionally or not. So am I not loving?
Love is so complex. It may be one of the hardest parts of being human. Love is risky; it can get you hurt. Sometimes it seems like we shouldn't bother. But God tells us to love others; even our enemies. That is for a different discussion. We will never be able to love perfectly while we are here on earth. But in our meager attempts at love, we need to keep God in the center, and all our actions should reflect Him. Happy Valentine's Day!!
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