I love you! The three words that have changed lives all over the world. Words that you can’t just throw around all willy nilly. It can be sorta dangerous. We’ve all known someone that made bad life decisions just because they told someone they loved them too soon. I can’t help but think of that teenage love thing. It’s way to easy to blurt it out and end up way more invested in a relationship than the maturity level allows. I know. I’ve done it myself. Dang those 80’s!
At school this week I was surrounded by girls wanting to see a picture of my daughter’s boyfriend (he attends another school). 🙂 As I sat with them they began talking about their own boyfriends and how serious their relationships were. Scary. Two of the girls had “promise” rings. Promise rings? Huh? Why? It’s just too soon! At least it is for me…..
Grown up love can be as immature as teenage love. Time after time I’ve sat with couples in trouble (in counseling with hubby) that cannot see the forest for the trees in their relationship. Loving someone can be pretty difficult, especially when we tend to love ourselves so much more. It’s just the way our flesh is. We think we deserve to be happy (at all costs). Many times, that means getting out of a marriage that isn’t ideal. Which never solves the real issue.
I don’t mean to sound harsh regarding love. It’s just that I wish more people took it seriously. Because love is serious business. John 13:34-35 says, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” I want people to know that my love for God is real and one way I can do that is by the way I love other’s. Not always easy to do, huh? As I type, I can think of some difficult folks to love. With God’s help….I know I can do it. Even if my flesh doesn’t have any desire at all to.
Later today my daughter will go to a late lunch with her boyfriend to celebrate Valentine’s day….she was very concerned that anything she did would seem “mushy lovey”. She put together a very sweet picture collage as her gift to him with “You make me smile” across the photo. It’s not mushy or lovey but it is very cute. We helped sneak it into his car last night (by the way…we are nervous sneaky snake people) I thought for sure he was going to catch us. Yikes! He wasn’t supposed to find it until today as he came out of basketball practice. Note to self or Ally: Don’t leave your fast-food garbage in Tyler’s car…he cleans it out and will find your surprise! He sent her a text message….he loved it!
Everywhere you turn today you are going to see references to love. It’s my prayer that you are in step with love the way God intends you to be. That you are loving as He commands you to and that other’s would know who you belong to just by watching you love other people. If you’re married…I pray that you are nurturing that relationship in a way that most honors Christ. Selflessly! It’s worth it, I promise!
Deut. 6:5 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”