love

Do I love you because of something that I get from you?  If so, is that really love?  If I am obtaining some sort of joy from you, isn’t this really about me?  Is there a place in our relationship where I can learn to be devoted to you regardless of what is coming my way?

If I fall out of love with you because I no longer get or have the special feeling, was it ever love in the first place?  Or was I just using you to help me deal with my problems? [man those are tough questions....]

To learn what love is, we have to let go of our false ideas about love.  Love is not a feeling.  It is not you solving my problems.  It is not you making me happy.  Love is the devotion of one person to another, or to an ideal, with no concern of what I get in return.  Love in its purest sense simply thinks the good, wills the good, and participates in delivering the good to the object of that love.

This is the love of Jesus, the love of Paul, it’s the patient, kind, not keeping a record of wrongs kind.  When I catch myself wanting something from the object of my love, is it possible that I am still broken, still hoping for someone else to fix me?  Oh God, give me more days where I can just love for the sake of loving.

It’s a beautiful day in God’s world, be sure to see the good.