TINA Y. GERBER Special to The Standard
One of the best feelings in the world, is love. We fall in love, seek it out, cherish it and share it. Love is an experience and an expression that everyone can understand regardless of who you are, what language you speak or where you live. Every healthy relationship requires love and sacrifice; it doesn’t matter if you’re young or old. The feeling of love is a powerful emotion that can benefit us in a big way. It helps us maintain relationships, do good things, and gives us a sense of belonging and safety. Love is not just an emotion but seen as an act of devotion. True devotion will always lead to loving actions. Even Christian couples can struggle with keeping their marriages strong, happy and connected.
You cannot make someone love you, nor can you stop those feelings. It will come your way or not by grace and of its own will, and of its own timing. Love springs from the heart. If you haven’t found true love yet, don’t give up. It’s never too late for love. Individuals spend years searching for the meaning of true love. However, very few, turn to the Bible to learn what it has to say about it. The Bible is full of passages about love, and it’s one of the central themes of scripture.
Love is one of the most important virtues of living a Christian life. Jesus gave love priority over all other Christian virtues. The Bible says there are five different ways people give and receive love: Words, Acts of Service, Giving Gifts, Spending time together and Touch. We need to understand true love isn’t always romantic: a parent’s love for a child, is unconditional and sacred as is a grandparents love for their grandchildren or the love we have for family and friends.
What makes us feel loved can vary. It’s important to discover other people’s love language so you may understand each other and give love in a way the other person may recognize. My husband will share and show his love by his ongoing work and renovations to our home, or having a hot meal cooked for me at the end of the day! The Bible says we are to love others the way God loves us. We are to love the family of God (1 Peter 2:17). Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the Church (Ephesians 5:25) and as we show selfless love, we reflect God’s love.
One of my favourite scriptures about love is (1 Corinthians 13:4-8), “Love is patient; love is kind and envies no one. Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude; never selfish, not quick to take offense. Love keeps no score of wrongs; does not gloat over another’s sins, but delights in the truth. There is nothing love cannot face; there is no limit to its faith, its hope, and its endurance. In a word, there are three things that last forever: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of them all is love.”
Love reminds us not to value the things we have in life but value who we have in our life.
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