This is what my pastor was discussing last night at church and some of the things that he said really stuck with me. He was telling us how love isn't just a feeling. That definition of love was probably made up by 'love-struck' teenagers who couldn't keep their hormones under control. Love is not something that is supposed to be rushed, or taken for granted. Love is not supposed to be just given away and then taken back in the same breathe. How can we 'love' tacos yet also 'love' our significant other. Sure, we probably mean to say that we 'love' our bf or gf more than we love tacos, but how can we make that distinction when we use the word so generously. "Well honey I love you like I love tocos. It means I like you a whole lot right now, but you know...maybe not in like a month." Is that what love is??
Of course NOT!! This is not how love is supposed to be. It isn't supposed to be conditional. It shouldn't be "I'll love you until....you cheat on me or until we fall out of love." It should be "I'll love you until I die. I am committed to you and only you." Simon (my pastor) told us that realistically, in a dating relationship, you shouldn't say "I love you" until the next words out of your mouth are "Will you marry me?" That love is that serious. If you aren't ready or willing to marry the person you are with you should not be saying the 'l' word. Because love is not meant to be taken back. You are supposed to give it away unconditionally.
Our love should be a reflection of God's love. God's love isn't conditional. God loved us SOOOO much that he sent his ONLY son to die on the cross for us. Doesn't that show you something about love? God doesn't love us because we loved him first. He loved us while we were still rejecting him, spitting in his face. But he gave us everything he had anyway. That is how WE should love. We should pour ourselves out, even if we don't receive love in return. Now this doesn't mean that we should stand for being mistreated, but don't give your love on the CONDITION that the person loves you back. By giving your love freely, it is more likely that the other person will see your commitment and love you in return.
Simon told us the story of how he proposed to his wife. He took her on a scavenger hunt and the last stop was a park. There was a tent with white Christmas lights strung all around it. Candles on the ground. And over the backstop of the baseball field hung a sheet. He had set up a projector connected to a laptop and it was playing a slideshow of pictures that had been taken over the two years that they had been dating. Then a countdown clock came up and it was counting how many years, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds they had been dating. Then up popped the words "What's next?"
Ashley, his wife, turned to him and said, "What is next?" Completely oblivious to everything. Then he said, "Ashley I love you." He said at those three words, she gasped and started crying because they had talked before and said that they wouldn't say "I love you" until they were ready to get married. Those three little words were SO powerful, because in that moment it was clear that Simon was committed to HER.
See how powerful LOVE can be?
Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast. It is not proud, it is not rude. It is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrong. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7
No comments:
Post a Comment