What Is LOVE?

Yesterday morning as I was working all of these thoughts started pouring into my head.  I don't know if it's because it's Valentine's Day is this month, or because I've been hearing so much about love but I wrote on a piece of paper, "What is love?".  As I thought about it and different sermons I've heard lately and conversations I've had with friends plus different articles I've read, I thought about the difference between what the world says love is and what God says love is... I recently read an article about what the most used word in porn website comments is...can you guess?  Love.  Love? 


"Wow.  Now how ironic is that?  How ironic is it that one of the main places that you can get the furthest from real love is where that word pops up the most in people's online conversations?  Now, granted, we realize that the word is probably being used in a much different way than we should associate it with, but does that make it any less saddening?  Does that make it okay that this word, which is meant to be used to describe the most intimate of feelings and deepest of affection, is now the most common word on a site that shows the complete opposite of love?" (Taken from the article in the link below.)
http://fightthenewdrug.org/oh-the-irony-this-is-the-most-used-word-in-porn-comments/#sthash.enXH3rDE.dpbs



Brings us back to the question, WHAT IS LOVE?  I was talking to a friend about this last week, and he said something that I've thought of every day since... "Without God at the center of a relationship there really is no love because God is love."  Mind.  Blown.  I really haven't ever thought of it that way before...  "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." ~John 4:16  Maybe it's time for us to stop trying to find love and start focusing on God because God is love.  No one will ever love you like He will, and if you don't fall in love with Him first then what's the point of "falling in love" with someone else when there really can't be any love in that relationship anyway because God isn't in it?  It would just be an emotional battlefield of lust and feelings that won't ever last.  I think most of us have been there once or twice.  It can be so hurtful and damaging to both people in so many ways.

Then you have those holidays like Valentine's Day.  It can be so hard...in all honesty sometimes it just makes me sick.  Just because that boy gives you flowers and chocolate, or that girl writes you a nice card doesn't mean anything.  How do they treat you the rest of the year?  All those girls who say, "He better get me something nice for Valentines Day"  just annoys me.  Love is more than a holiday.  Love is an everyday thing.  Flowers, chocolate and cards with hearts and sweet words written in them are all nice, but what about every other day?  Real love will open doors for you every day.  Real love puts you first.  Real love sends you a text in the middle of the week just to say, "I love you".  Real love is more focused on what they can put into the relationship than what they can get out of it.  Real love offers you chocolate in a bus in Africa when you're tired and emotional.  I'm not just talking about romantic relationships, this goes for friendships too.  People say, "I love you" the best without words.  It means more to me when my sister gives me a hug for no reason and tells me that she loves me than it does when she tells me on a special occasion.  And when my brother offered me chocolate in a dusty bus in Africa when I was sitting there bawling my eyes out (probably for no reason), I felt more loved than if he'd actually said the words.  "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this; While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." ~Romans 5:8  God didn't just say, "I love you."  He showed us.  God is love, and when we act like Jesus, people feel His love through us.  When people give of themselves I see Jesus in them.

So what do we do when Valentine's Day is around the corner and the memories of past relationships that we let go of a long time ago seem to haunt us?  Grandpa brought me a teddy bear the other day, for Valentine's Day (he's always early for these things, so sweet!), and as I looked at it yesterday I remembered years ago this boy giving me a teddy bear for Valentine's Day.  I'd almost forgotten...
"Satan targets our emotions because our hearts are by their own nature deceptive (Jeremiah 17:9).  Most assuredly, where believers are concerned, the father of lies is at the heart of every destructive emotional tie.  We can't just put our pasts behind us.  We've got to put our pasts in front of God.  Satan is inconceivably mean and will take advantage of any unfinished business." ~"When Godly People Do Ungodly Things" ~Beth Moore

Call me crazy, but I totally think Satan remembers our pasts and will take every opportunity he can to remind us of things that were once hurtful to us.  So instead of having a meltdown right there, instead of letting the memories keep playing in my heart and mind I gave them back to Jesus, saying, "Heal all the hurts that I haven't dealt with.  I gave it all to you a long time ago, I don't want it back."  It was amazing how fast that ended.  No turning back.  Give it all to Jesus friends, and don't look back. 
I heard a new song yesterday, it's called "In Over My Head" by Bethel Music and Jenn Johnson


"In Over My Head"

I have come to this place in my life
I’m full but I’ve not satisfied
This longing to have more of You
I can feel it my heart is convinced
I’m thirsty my soul can’t be quenched
You already know this but still
Come and do whatever You want to

I’m standing knee deep but I’m out where never been
I feel You coming and I hear Your voice on the wind

Would you come and tear down the boxes that I have tried to put You in
Let love come teach me who You are again
Take me back to the place where my heart was only about You
And all I wanted was just to be with You
Come and do whatever You want to

Further and further my heart moves away from the shore
Whatever it looks like, whatever may come I am Yours
Further and further my heart moves away from the shore
Whatever it looks like, whatever may come I am Yours
[x2]

Then You crash over me and I’ve lost control but I’m free
I’m going under, I’m in over my head
And You crash over me, I’m where You want me to be
I’m going under, I’m in over my head
Whether I sink, whether I swim
It makes no difference when I’m beautifully in over my head
Whether I sink, whether I swim
It makes no difference when I’m beautifully in over my head
I’m Beautifully in over my head
I’m Beautifully in over my head

It just reminded me once again how wonderful it is to give yourself fully over to Jesus, holding nothing back, being fully submersed in His love.  Don't ever settle for less than all that He has for you.  The safest place to be in lost in Him.