Valentines day has just passed, and naturally love has been the most popular theme in the past week or two. I guess all of us have experienced "being in love" at one point or another. The exhilarating feeling of caring for someone more than anyone else. But has anyone successfully described true love with mere words? Is it possible to grasp or define it with our limited vocabulary?
I remember falling in love 16 years ago. It wasn't the first time I had "fallen in love", however this time was different as it challenged my concept of what true love is. This gal who captured my heart was one of the most beautiful I had ever met, both inside and out. She had a sincere heart, and a desire to live her life in a way that pleased God. Without doubt her beauty and sincerity was what initially caught my attention, but something happened in my heart I had never experienced before. I couldn't package or define the reason why I loved this girl. For the first time in my life it wasn't at all about me but it was all about her. My needs and desires took third place to her. Many thought it was just her beauty that captured me,.. Of course she was a gorgeous girl, but this wasn't the underlying reason I loved her. Was it her vibrant personality and intelligence? As much as I was intrigued by her, this wasn't it either. What exactly caused me to feel so passionately for her? No matter how I tried to rationalize or define it, I couldn't package it in my definition of love. All I knew was that she meant more to me than anyone else regardless of what she looked like or how she responded. When she asked me why I felt this way, and I found it impossible to explain, I just loved her just because of who she was. It scared me and made me wonder if this is what true love really is, totally unexplainable and unconditional.
For reasons which I won't discuss here, our friendship didn't develop into what it could have been. But I'm grateful for this experience as it gave me a deeper appreciation of God's love for me. We've learned from the Sunday school song that "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so", but what exactly makes Him love me so? Is it our goodness? I doubt that, as our righteousness is like filthy rags. Is it that we are so wonderfully made? No doubt we are, but that reason would imply He's only a selfish artist marvelling at His own craftsmanship. Just what is it that makes God love us, ugly, disobedient and broken sinners? No other reason but pure unselfish love. Totally undefinable! It's not in any way dependant on how we look, behave or respond. No conditions, just unexplainable unconditional love.
So how do we respond to this? The scripture instructs us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind and soul. How do we do this? Do we love Him because of what He has done for us? That would be pretty shallow if it was the only reason. Consider if your spouse loved you only for what you do or what you look like? Wouldn't that be selfish and conditional? What happens when your career fails and your beauty fades away? But you say "Jesus saved me, that's why I love him!" If someone pulls you from a burning building and saves your life, does this cause us to fall in love with the individual, or do we just love what he has done for us? There's no question we feel a deep gratitude, but how long will love last if it's based only on graditude? Do you think God wants us to love Him only for what he has done for us? If He did nothing, would we still love him just for who He is? Think for a moment.. Do we worship Him for what He gives us or do we worship Him for who He is?
True love is unconditional, and impossible to fabricate as it's a gift of God. True love is what caused Him to sacrifice His son for our salvation. No strings attached, He loves us as we are. When true love pierces our heart it can be scary. I'm still discovering new depths of what true love really is, but I believe that only unconditional love can break the curse of our selfish hearts, draw us closer to God, and be the only solid foundation for lasting relationships.
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