By Chris WittsThursday 13 Apr 2023Morning Devotions with Chris WittsFaithReading Time: 1 minute
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Transcript:
What is love all about anyway? I spoke about this yesterday morning and talking about the fact that love is more than just a feeling. The Greeks had the idea of different words Philia, Eros storage and agape. They actually were able to define love in different ways. How do we define love? Well, it’s very difficult to know. I think if we love someone, it’s all about sharing life with them. If the relationship is going to be long term, then we need to be going in the same direction. If we say we love someone, you know it, it just happens.
(What is Love all About Anyway? Part 1)
Love is not always sex.
This statement goes against a lot of what is in the entertainment industry today. Whenever two people, it seems, hook up in pop culture, they often have sex, but without showing some of the unpleasant realities of premarital, extramarital sex. It’s supposed to be this wonderful recreational activity. But of course, there is another view which is not always spoken of in the media.
Sex is created for marriage.
It’s a long lasting commitment between a husband and wife. And outside of marriage, sex can have harsh consequences. We know this, don’t we? Pregnancy, Sexually transmitted disease? There’s guilt, insecurity and shame. So a relationship based on lust only can only last as long as the two are physically close and find each other sexually attractive. So isn’t love more than that? Yes, it certainly is. Love is a choice, and love is a commitment. And although feelings will accompany love, and although sex is part of marriage, a lasting, healthy relationship can’t just be based on those things. But love is a choice. It’s a choice of my will.
I may not like certain things about you, but I love you. I’m committed to not harming you. I am committed to seeing you as a valued person made in the image of God. And the problem is, sometimes we’re more interested in our own happiness rather than someone else’s interest. It becomes selfish, so love without commitment is not love at all. I think it’s just fantasy and we need to be honest here, accepting each other’s feelings as legitimate without being judgmental. This is about acceptance.
Love doesn’t set out to change other people and make them what I want. If I marry you, I’m going to change you to the way I want. No, that’s conditional. Love. It’s not real love. The only person I can change is myself. Love accepts people as they are and the problem is that some of us feel also we’ve got nothing to give. We are unlovable. I can’t reach out in love. I’ve got nothing worthwhile to give.
We only want to receive love and, uh, we’re not prepared to give it. And unfortunately, what happens then is that we drive people away by this attitude. But let me say this no matter who you are or how unlovable you feel, we all yes, all have some love to give. We might give a little of what we’ve got, but the more we give, the more it comes back. And the more we’re able to love.
Well, the Bible says that God is love. There’s a wonderful verse in 1 John 4:8 that says God is love. Three simple, significant words. God, our designer, our creator. He made us with needs for love. Do you ever wonder why we seek love from others? But we never completely satisfied us because God designed us not for an unconditional love because it says in the New Testament, Romans 5:8 – God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us. Even though we were sinful, God showed how much he loved us. So, unfortunately, friends or family or the significant other in our lives will sometimes let us down. It’s pretty much guaranteed they will let us down sometime, but God wants us to find our need for love and acceptance in him.
First, we were made for God’s love, and God’s love is the only thing that can really feel that need. So once you’ve experienced that unconditional love that God has for you, we can then begin to love others in a new and an amazing way. It’s called unconditional love. The Scripture says we love him because he first loved us.
Heavenly Father, there’s so much we need to learn about love. Thank you that you give us this divine capacity to love just as you love us. Amen.