Scattered thoughts on LOVE...

Love. It’s a beautiful thing. I’m not sure many people experience the depth love has to offer. Not only does it bring butterflies and fast heart beats, but its very core brings a true calmness of the heart. The comfort of love negates the anxiety and craziness that life brings. It releases people to be who they really are, free of inhibitions and selfishness. It encourages us to give and be appreciative. It leaves us with the desire to be kind and open. It ignites tenderness and softness in our hearts. Love’s house harbors no walls, no bitterness, no insecurity. This is perfect love and it only exists in Christ.

One of my most favorite things about love is that its capacity has no limits. A great friend of mine recently posed the question, “What does it mean to put my husband before my child? Am I supposed to love my daughter less?” But this question implies that we only have so much love to give… a meter that can be emptied. Another friend of mine recently had another child. She told me that she wondered beforehand how she could possible love another child as much as she loved her first. Again, this mentality implies that our ability to love has limits.

Priority and love are two different things. Time and love are two different things. The truth is, we don’t have enough time for everything, and everyone cannot be our highest priority all the time. So we must be intentional. Intentional. We must live our lives purposefully if we want to have successful relationships, friendships, careers, lives.

Another friend of mine is trying to figure out if the man she’s with is the right one. They like each other. Sometimes. They want to love each other. They are trying. Why isn’t it falling into place? Why isn’t he pursuing her? Why doesn’t she feel safe with him? My question is: Should it really be this hard? I don’t think so. True love is passionate. It chases. It longs to give. Not every day, no. Because we are flawed. But most days, yes. We must never resign to living to please the self. That is a dangerous path that leads us further and further from love. One that leaves us alone.

But is it even realistic to live intentional, love-filled, selfless lives? If you look around the world and see all the devastated marriages, abandoned children, angry women, hurting men… one may say it is not possible. But I say it is. There’s a secret ingredient though. A key to unlocking the mystery of how it’s done.

Perfect love only exists in Christ.

No matter how badly we want to be the best mother, the best wife, the best boyfriend, or the best son, the reality is that we cannot do it alone. We simply can’t. We ARE selfish. We ARE flawed. We’d rather be chased than chase. We’d rather be served than serve. So we must learn how. And we must be intentional about doing so because it does not come naturally or happen by chance.

A friend of mine posted this on her Facebook the other day. “If you want to be loved, be lovable.”

Brilliant. I suspect Christ was lovable. In all his humility and strength, people flocked to him because he didn’t condemn or demand. He chased others no one would chase. He served others no one would serve. He never demanded to be served. Not once. He wasn’t prideful. He didn’t feel the need to prove himself or desire to shine. I can’t say the same for myself most days.

What a lesson in love we could learn by his example.