We live in a world where love means desiring, demanding, and then ditching at the first signs of difficulty. No wonder our kids are confused, and we have millions of adults wandering around aimlessly looking for the next thing that “feels like love”. Our movies, music and newsstands are full of picture perfect romances, only to see the marriage (or relationship because it’s easier not to commit) end too soon.
We may live in this kind of world, but we don’t have to settle for that kind of love. I don’t know about you, but I want true love.
True love is …
A couple saying “I do” knowing full well it’s not going to be easy. For better for worse, in sickness and in health are not just pretty sounding words strung together in the tradition of weddings. Instead, the harsh realities of life will hit sooner than the couple realizes, but in those moments is when their love begins to mature. They continue to love through the hard times.
True love is …
A woman becoming a mother and realizing from before the child is born, pain comes with love. But as she pours out her heart, soul and energy to love her child, she knows her love will endure despite the pain. It hurts her every time she has to discipline to ensure her child’s safety. Watching her child walk into school at the age of 5 leaving her holding nothing but her keys makes her heart ache. But love continues to grow despite the pain of she watching her child mature and deal with the hard realities of life. She continues to love.
True love is …
God watching the world He created decay because of sin. He aches and yearns for the perfect paradise He originally created for His children. He longs to be close to them again, so He sends His Son knowing full well His One and Only Son will be rejected. But He sends His Love to earth anyway, in a humble stable, announced only to the lowest of society. He loves even though He knows the pain will happen.
True love is the couple committing through the storms and trials of life to love each other.
True love is a mother knowing therewill be pain in raising a child who will sometimes do what isn’t right, and one day leave home.
True love is God Almighty knowing full well that giving us free choice would introduce sin and destruction into the world, but God wanted us to freely choose Him. True love is God knowing His Son would face ridicule, hatred and death, but He wanted to have relationship with us, so Jesus came bringing love, grace and forgiveness through His nail scarred hands.
True love isn’t what Hollywood tells us it is. True Love is what our Heavenly Father showed us. It lasts through time, space, hurt and ache. True love endures when trials come and chooses to love knowing it’s going to get hard.
Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
… Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love — but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 13
Have you experienced the True Love of God?
Erin C. Peters 